Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is not in any way our intention to prolong the process. The briefing that the Minister's Department provided is very clear. It is trying to truncate the process and is trying to take simultaneous steps along the way rather than sequential steps. What we are saying here is very much that schools can prepare if it is something that needs to be utilised. The Minister has said she does not want to be in a position to utilise it unnecessarily and it is not the best way to go. Schools have to prepare. If a school opens a special class for the first time, it changes the dynamic of the schools. It is a good and positive change. It is something that will benefit everybody, but schools have to be empowered to embrace that change. They need to know how to change properly and well. That is what our amendments are trying to achieve. We are in no way trying to exhaust the scenario or to make the Bill in front of us redundant because it effectively does what the previous Act would have done. I wish to make that case strongly. I appreciate where the Minister is coming from on the issue of the 31 March cut-off and emerging situations. I can appreciate that the Minister wants the leeway to engage with schools in the months of April and May. I am happy to withdraw the amendment. However, I wish to state that the point of the amendment is that we are not in a situation where schools have no time. I think the Minister will accept that it would be better, in the majority of cases, that such a decision or such an introduction be made well before the month of April. I can appreciate that the Minister would want the leeway within legislation to be able to act in an emerging situation. On that basis, I will withdraw amendment No. 4.

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