Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for the interesting point he has raised. I was the one to introduce the threshold of six for a special class with two SNAs and a teacher back in 1998 when we took a very significant decision in a Government memorandum. It is fair to make that point about a model for rural schools and schools whose numbers are quite low. I will talk to the Minister for Education, Deputy Helen McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, who has responsibility for special education, to see if a model can be designed for smaller rural schools. This might be based on a cluster. Perhaps a support base could be organised. I will certainly look at that. There has been exponential growth in the number of SNAs since that time. There are now 23,000 special needs assistants in our schools. The point is well made. I understand that this issue forms part of ongoing discussions on forward planning with officials in the Department of Education and the National Council for Special Education.

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