Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It seems strange that qualified professionals are not being allowed to make necessary recommendations. There is a great deal of disquiet among parents of vulnerable children about the qualifications of special educational needs organisers, SENOs. For example, they may not hold relevant qualifications in psychology or disability services. Reports from fully qualified and accredited educational psychologists and psychiatrists are not being accepted by the Department of Education and Skills and the HSE. Parents find it difficult to understand why a SENO who may be less qualified can ignore the recommendations of an independent educational psychologist who is an expert in that field. The Minister of State will admit that SENOs are not as well qualified as these experts, yet the Department seems to be less inclined to take the experts' opinions on board.

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