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

I am of a view that parents should not have to go to court to get the most basic rights for their children. There have been issues ever since that Act was introduced in 2005. I understand that some sections of that Act remain to be commenced regarding children with special needs. The allocation of resources in education does not always depend on that assessment of need having taken place but it is nonetheless obviously desirable for parents to have an assessment of need carried out so that the best health and education provision can be made for the child. The Ministers with specific responsibility for this in the new Government will work to get the waiting times down significantly, both for assessment of need and for allocation of places in special schools and mainstream education, as well as access to healthcare facilities. That will be an objective of the Government.

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