Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commend the former inspector of the Department of Education and Skills, Mr. Emmet Stack, and his group on compiling this report and for their work on it. It will be crucial that there is proper consultation and that everybody's views are taken on board before deciding how to move forward. The Minister, Deputy Quinn, in his press statement coinciding with the release of the report, struck a cautious note, saying he would carefully review the recommendations in the report and in examining how to implement a new model it would be important that he both protect the gains that have been made in special educational provision in recent years while also seeking to improve provision. However, media reports at the time indicated that the Minister was far more positive. The Irish Timesreported that the Minister, Deputy Quinn, who had accepted the recommendations and had put the plan out for consultation before it comes before the Government for approval in the autumn, had said that the current system was clearly unfair and that he believed it should stop. Does the Minister expect the report to be implemented as recommended, and is there a difference between the Department's approach to it and the political leadership's approach, as in the approach of the Minister, Deputy Quinn?

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