Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

One would have the parents, the home-school liaison officer, the guidance counsellor and the public health nurse around one. At the end of the process, I never got a report back or knew what was happening to the child in question. We never seemed to be able to get to the grand finale and say that the child would enter a certain arrangement with a specific plan and programme. I ask the Minister, in the new Bill coming forward, to streamline all that so the parents, who are very vulnerable, will be able to say that at long last they are getting guidance for their child, who can go into a special programme. That programme will look after his or her needs whether it is an attention deficit disorder or involves a special education programme or a resource teacher. They need residential and respite care and that is a core issue of the new Bill.

The great shortage of professionals has been mentioned in terms of speech and language, occupational therapists and psychologists. It used to make my blood boil that 550 out of the maximum 600 points in the CAO system were required to get to university to do this course and yet children are crying out for occupational therapists. We are stuck because of academic procedures and the fact that the colleges will not provide places. In addition, the Department is not helping to create places. I am glad the Minister of State has tackled that issue. I hope he will pursue further——