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

In my days as Minister for Education, I was responsible for bringing in early intervention classes, especially language classes, in national schools, which proved to be highly effective in terms of outcomes for children with language difficulties, in particular, or other difficulties. I am a passionate believer in early intervention. I will discuss this with the Minister for Education. The National Council for Special Education has statutory remit and freedom to commission reviews to put forward policies. We have to acknowledge that. Of course, that does not take away our rights to interrogate that policy. I believe in early intervention on the ground. We should not take away resources that are there already.

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