Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Fitzpatrick for his support for both this initiative and the SNA provision. They are very worthwhile provisions and, to be fair to all parties in the House, it has been a feature in recent years that there has been very strong support across the Oireachtas for investment in special needs. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The Oireachtas has voted an increase of 43% in the budget for special needs at a time when there were very little resources to increase in many areas. There is no intention of taking people off the list; this is entirely additional to the provisions already being made.

We believe this will allow schools to be better at identifying needs early, in improving the sort of programmes they have themselves, to emphasise communication and language and to integrate into their way of teaching, to ensure that between sessions with the therapists, the schools are doing things that sustain the progress which occurs in the therapy. I was very encouraged to see there is very strong support within the therapist profession for this model. They think it will extend their work. I hope it will prove that there is more additionality in the impact that this has.

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