Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. As he has mentioned, we are extremely lucky in County Meath because a source of funding is provided through the HSE's disability sector. This helps with the assistance of children who are attending preschool years. This is something our county has decided to do and many parents and teachers are grateful for it. The problem is that the funding is not definite. Every year it is subject to consideration. Every year budgets are tighter and every year more and more children are seeking to avail of these services. This puts a strain on the system and makes it more difficult to provide the right assistance. Further, the HSE feels it should not be funding these services.

We speak of inclusion of children with special needs at a mainstream level and in the community to ensure children feel part of their community. The Minister is a strong advocate of this. As he has mentioned, this is the first Government to have a dedicated Department with responsibility for children. I will stress what has been stressed by many Deputies in this House today. When the interdepartmental group is meeting and examining all aspects of education, early learning years in particular should be taken into account and serious consideration should be given to the introduction of a national scheme. It is important for children to get the help they need at an early stage, especially those with special needs. The HSE in County Meath can provide this funding for only so long. It also means that no other counties can provide it.

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