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

First, I will revert to my officials on the issues raised by Deputy McDonald in respect of a specific school and the point she made that services have not returned. My overall commentary is that the progressing disability services policy or programme was developed nearly a decade ago. I was not in government at the time and I remember having concerns from the Opposition benches and speaking about it to principals of schools. What is happening, in essence, is that the objective from the HSE's perspective has been to get a harmonised system. Prior to the progressing disability services programme, special schools, in particular, had their own complement of therapists as part of the overall multidisciplinary school teams. The progressing disability services programme wanted to create a centralised system in a given region or location to give equal access to therapies to all pupils in mainstream and special schools. It has been a very slowly evolving programme and there have been problems with it. In my view, the programme should be rolling out without impacting on existing services in education or in schools. That is my view and I know the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, shares those principles.

We are engaging with the HSE in respect of some schools where this issue has manifested more recently. I will have a look at the situation again. We will have to take a serious look at how the progressing disability services programme is being rolled out. It should not be done on a basis that undermines existing provision in existing special schools. We provided resources for an additional 100 therapists last year, so there should be room to develop this new system in parallel. The previous Government started a pilot scheme and my view, personally and from a policy perspective, is that it needs to be developed. There is merit in continuing with the multidisciplinary approaches in schools while, on a more general basis, centralising provision in some centres. For example, Enable Ireland in Cork has an excellent centre in Curraheen. The only problem is that the schools have not been located adjacent to it, which would be the perfect solution that would allow for the full panoply of resources available to children with special needs. This is something I intend to continue to pursue with the agencies and Ministers responsible in terms of a broader review of policy.

On Deputy Boyd Barrett's questions about income supports, as we have reopened the economy, there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of people on the pandemic unemployment payment. I do not think people were pushed off it.

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