Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I raise the issue of dyslexia, although not on behalf of any organisation. As the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera, is aware, the Dyslexia Association of Ireland is a voluntary organisation which relies very much on subscriptions and voluntary inputs from teachers. It has done tremendous work. With its workers, volunteers and all those involved, it would like to see the recommendations made in the 1998 report submitted to the former Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, and published in 2001, implemented. That is the reason I raise the issue.

Service provision and mainstream funding are needed. For example, the group in Letterkenny, County Donegal, has relied on local authority funding. It received €10,000 in development funding last year from local authority subscriptions as an acknowledgement of the work it was doing. This is a major issue and funding, whether for psychologists or otherwise, is required to identify the needs of young people who suffer from dyslexia. I know the group refers to those who suffer from dyslexia but perhaps "suffer" is the wrong word. It is politically incorrect to use the word "suffer" in that the people concerned do not suffer; they just have a different way of looking at things. I bring this issue to the Minister of State's attention.