Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies O'Loughlin and Eugene Murphy, and their Fianna Fáil colleagues for providing us with the opportunity to talk on this very important motion this evening. Early assessment of needs is vital. Many families cannot afford to pay for this themselves, are on the public waiting list and have to wait too long. The longer the children are without assistance, their needs increase, especially for autistic children. The July provision is very helpful for autistic children when they are off school. It allows them to develop social skills. Routine is very important for these children. It provides an opportunity for respite for the parents. I hope the Minister of State or someone is listening to me because it is very important. Children with Down's syndrome are being excluded from the July provision, for which they should qualify. It is important for the Government to seek to redress this very sad deficit because these children need assistance and would benefit greatly from the July provision.

Another area of concern for many parents and students is where schools apply to the State Examination Commission for reasonable accommodation for students sitting their junior certificate or leaving certificate examinations and who need a scribe or a reader. Why is the Department cutting back on these reasonable accommodations? The schools are finding it very difficult to get these reasonable accommodations, especially for children with dyslexia or dyspraxia who are suffering because of the Government cutbacks. I am asking the Minister of State to do something about this. It is good to have the opportunity this evening to ask him for this.

There is another idea that is being used in Kerry. The South Kerry Partnership has developed a very important model for children and people who have a deficit and are not fully physically or mentally well. They can benefit from social farming. Children and teenagers are taken out to a farm by farmers who are committed to this and get a few bob for it.

It is very good for children and many of them would benefit from nature, seeing what happens when a sheep has a lamb or a cow having a calf, and all that happens on a farm. It is a wonderful idea. It is being developed by South Kerry Partnership and I am asking the Minister of State to explore this because it would help many families.

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