Liam Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail)

I join Senator Ulick Burke in calling on the Leader to ask the Minister for Education and Science to come to the House to discuss the issues which have been brought to the courts by him. These are emotive issues. The issue of disability is always a sensitive one. There are balance of rights issues involved here which have legal and constitutional implications. We all acknowledge, and the Minister is acknowledging with the forthcoming disabilities Bills, that these issues must be fully and comprehensively addressed. These are also issues for the taxpayers.

We welcome the Government's decision to bring forward the disabilities Bills sooner rather than later to enable us to tease out these sensitive issues. No child, irrespective of his or her disability, should be left without a proper and appropriate education.