Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

It is a matter of huge hypocrisy that the Government wants the President to sign into law a Bill which the Government believes to be ineffective.

A recent survey produced by Fine Gael highlighted that almost 10,000 children in this country are waiting for psychological assessment before their special educational needs can be determined. We now know that the average waiting time for a child to be assessed within the current system is between six and eight months. While a national education body was put in place to deal with psychological assessment, it is clear the backlog of assessments has not been dealt with. Will the Government ensure that if after two months a child within our primary education system cannot obtain an assessment, funding would be provided for that child to be assessed by the private sector?

It is a scandal that children presenting with special needs problems in our schools cannot be dealt with for six to eight months because a bureaucratic edifice stands in the way. The Government should consider this given that special needs education is the Cinderella of education. We are regularly informed that 1997 was the baseline upon which the new society was built. If that is the case, the Government must consider its performance in this area, which is a disgrace. This is where reform needs to be brought about.