Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, on this and welcome the fact that there will be a review and that schools will be able to look for a review in order to try to get the problems that are there sorted out. The worst thing for schools is that while the support hours are based on a three particular criteria, a school is then asked to look at how it will allocate its special educational teaching hours based on the complex needs of the children.

There is an anomaly there that needs to be looked at.

As a member of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters, we come across many things we might say would not make us proud of what is happening with disabilities. For sure, we need to be able to stitch in what is happening with the HSE's early diagnosis and early interventions with what is happening in the education sector, and we need to do that as a matter of urgency so that we actually give every child the same and equal opportunity to fulfil his or her full potential.

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