Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have long been campaigning for therapists to go into the school classroom. That was the case with special schools until Progressing Disability came along. It is threatening to dilute the presence of such therapists in the special schools. The arrangement should be extended into mainstream schools across the country.

My key question for the Taoiseach is based on the fact that the sections of the EPSEN Act that been commenced relate to general matters concerning the establishment of the special education review council. Those sections that have not been commenced are those that relate to educational assessment for all children with special educational needs, the consequent development of a statutory individual education plan, the delivery of detailed education services on foot of this plan, the designation of schools mandated to take in children with special needs, and the duty of the Minister for Health and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to make resources available. Fundamentally, I accept that the special education review council is doing what it can in the absence of this legislation and progressing with pilot schemes and so on, but the reality is that thousands of children do not have the key access they require, particularly to early assessment. This is so much so that the Stack group is now progressing with an idea whereby there should be no assessment, just provision. I understand that people want-----

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