Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

Like the previous speaker, I do not doubt the Minister of State's sincerity, but it is a load of bull. I will be honest. I will be straight with him. Every year we come here and parents of children with additional needs are being let down. One Minister after another comes in with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste telling us all they are doing. However, people have children with additional needs at home who cannot get to school. Why are those children not being treated the same as every other child? Why are those children being victimised and discriminated against? Does the Minister of State know why? It is because the Government does not give a rat's ass about them. I am sick and tired of listening to figures and hearing that the Government is doing this and that. I had a meeting last night with parents. They were given school places, but no transport. Children from Knocknaheeny, Mayfield and Ballyvolane are being sent to Rochestown and Carrigaline. That is an hour each way. Parents have to take time off work or school and cannot drop their other children to school yet the Minister of State comes in here and tells me that there is a review and the Government will know in October. It should know today. It is its job to know today. How dare the Minister of State come in here and disrespect those parents, not just the parents in the Gallery, but those all over the country who have to deal with this?

The Government talks about forward planning. Fine Gael has been in government for 14 years and Fianna Fáil for nine years. What have they been doing? I have parents crying on the phone to me because their children cannot get to school. I had a woman on our meeting last night. Her child has never been to school and the Minister of State is telling us about forward planning. I have one simple question. There are children in Cork who have no bus places to Scoil Éanna, St. Paul's, Scoil Bernadette, Rochestown, Carrigaline, east Cork and Carrignavar. When will those parents have access to buses to bring their children to school? I spoke to representatives of Bus Éireann. They will not even take the phone calls from the parents. It is a disgrace; that is what it is.

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