Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the reply. It is also welcome that the IQ measure has been removed but, as I said, the Government has highlighted that bringing therapy back into special schools is a key priority. However, there is a cohort of children with disabilities and speech sound disorders in mainstream education who have a critical need for in-school speech therapy. In 2005, the Department's report noted that the eligibility criteria could not be widened at the time due to a shortage of supply of speech and language therapists. Here we are 20 years later and nothing has changed. The criteria have not been amended at Government level. It has taken the steadfastness, determination and advocacy of a small group of parents in east Galway to highlight this and to escalate it to Government level in order to enact it. The Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists highlighted this issue several times before in position statements in 2007 and 2017 and it stated that, regardless of such concerns, the adoption of evidence-based criteria is urgently required and deemed the eligibility criteria for placement in a specific speech and language disorder class to be narrow and restrictive. It also stated that the current position, where the only intensive model of support available is restricted to children with non-verbal IQ at or higher than 90 points and significantly discrepant language scores denies appropriate support to many children with severe, pervasive and long-enduring needs.

Regarding the details in the revised circular that was issued in March of this year, I was informed that it was a senior speech and language therapist from the NCSE who mistakenly advised on the particulars that went into the new circular. We cannot stand over this discrimination any longer. I request the immediate removal of the discriminatory clause to ensure equality of access to these classes and that the NCSE reviews its recommendations to insert that clause. Furthermore, we must request the Department of education, the NCSE and the HSE to address the insufficient classes that are available throughout the country to meet demand and to cater for the significant number of children with speech and language disability.

I want to make an additional point before my time runs out. In one CDNT in my constituency, 20 children have been identified following assessment. There are in excess of 90 CDNTs nationwide. Therefore, if the law of averages applies, there could be at least 2,000 children who have a disability and a speech sound disorder who are being denied access to these therapeutic supports because of the idea that their speech and sound is of an unknown origin. I appreciate the Minister of State's support on the matter.

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