Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera. I also welcome this excellent legislation. However, I hope that it will be followed up with adequate resources. In five years, there has been a sea change in people's attitudes towards entitlements and needs. I first became involved in politics in 1999. When I knocked on doors, the major issues were potholes and water and sewerage schemes. They were very much related to the physical infrastructure. However, I noticed during this year's canvas with my respective colleagues, councillors and urban councillors that many of the issues raised on the doorsteps related to education. There was a sea change in people's attitudes. They are more informed and in tune with their rights and those of their children regarding education. The electorate is evolving and becoming more sophisticated. People's interest in their own families and their children's education is increasing. That was evident on the doorsteps during the local elections.

I welcome the fact the Title has changed to the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Bill 2003. The word "disabilities" has been removed. People who suffer from dyslexia, for example, do not have disabilities but needs that must be addressed, something the Bill tries to do.

There is some confusion with the Department for Education and Science, and perhaps the Minister of State will be able to shed some light on it. The Department announced there would be restrictions on hiring psychologists earlier this year. I assume that was in light of the fact that there was to be a new weighting system for special needs resources. I am a little confused and require clarification on how the new weighting system will impact on the legislation. Small schools in rural areas are currently concerned about the special needs services and resources they have available. They worry there might be a depletion or reduction in those resources.

I require clarity on how the new weighting system for special needs resources will impact on the legislation. Since February 2003 the Minister for Education and Science has received more than 8,000 applications for special educational resources at his Department. However, the vast majority of those, more than 88%, have not been sanctioned, leaving children in need of some form of assistance at school without that help.

There is fear and worry at secondary school level. I have been speaking to a few teachers involved in the special needs sector. They want to know what will happen now, where the psychological assessment will come into play and whether it will be in-house and up to the teachers to deliver.

A psychological assessment by a qualified professional is required in the case of a four year old pupil with mild dyslexia. The issue is access to the right psychological services at the right time. An example came to my attention of a parent who moved her ten year old son from an urban school with a pupil-teacher ratio of 30:1 to a rural school where the ratio was minimised. This child's mild dyslexia was only diagnosed at ten years of age, mainly as a consequence of the greater one to one attention he was receiving in the new school. The needs of children who are lucky enough to enjoy a low pupil-teacher ratio environment will be met but in a classroom of 30 pupils many children will slip through the net if they are not assessed at the right time.

Legislation needs the support of Government in terms of both delivery of resources and the political will to clear bottlenecks that obstruct critical services. This is the kernel of my argument. This is excellent legislation but political will is required for its implementation and to provide the necessary resources. It appears the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2004, which was debated in the House yesterday, will be enacted by the Government. Some of the funds available under the provisions of that Bill could be disbursed to the Minister of State and the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey. I objected to the methods stipulated in that Bill for the allocation of funds as the decisions will be made at Cabinet. Education and disability were mentioned as areas to which dormant account funds could be allocated and a significant portion of the fund should be channelled into the special needs sector. If the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2004 is to be enacted, the special educational needs sector is an area which should receive support. Some 57% of schools in the north-west have no psychological assessment provision. This means that too many schools have teachers and principals who are under significant pressure.

We must ensure the definition proposed in the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Bill 2003 cannot be used to restrict access to any service or assistance for those who need it. The remit of this legislation applies only to those under the age of 18. What protections shall be afforded a pupil with special educational needs who wishes to remain in full time schooling until the age of 19 or 20?

Although we are not as far ahead in this area as Australia and the United States, for example, adult education has been very much in vogue in Ireland for the last ten to 15 years. What is the special educational needs provision, for such conditions as mild dyslexia, for the adult of 40 or 50 years of age who returns to education? We should follow the precedent already set in this country that education is a lifelong endeavour, from birth to death. There should be no cut-off points and every incentive should be provided to encourage people to return to education. The Government may claim that its long awaited disability Bill will protect adult learners such as these but it has stalled long enough and must produce this legislation as a matter of urgency.

Dealing with support services or State agencies on behalf of one's child can be a daunting task. Many advocacy services have been established in the adult education sector to encourage and facilitate people to return to education. What about the parent who must approach officialdom to represent the special educational needs of his or her child? There should be a conduit or advocacy service for such parents. Currently, parents are approaching their public representatives across the political divide, be they urban councillors, county councillors, Deputies or Senators, pleading for services for their children. I am neither condemning nor condoning this situation but an advocacy service is required. Some parents may have a problem with their child's school and feel uncomfortable approaching the principal or class teacher.

The Bill puts considerable extra pressures on school principals. What supports and resources will be available to both primary and secondary schools in the implementation of the legislation? Again, it is a question of resources and commitment. The Bill looks great on paper but the implementation aspect must be addressed.

The Minister for Education and Science must ensure that meeting the requirements of special educational needs students is a core component of teacher training programmes. Progress is evident in this matter and such special training is ongoing in many of the primary teacher training institutions.

The Dyslexia Association of Ireland has identified a need which has been met by a significant voluntary effort on the part of parents throughout the country. A dyslexic workshop in Letterkenny is based on the voluntary effort of parents. It takes place in the Letterkenny Institute of Technology, which, fortunately, is not charging fees. However, it costs the parents €50 to employ a teacher for each three hour session and the total cost is €1,310 per night. The Revenue Commissioners have now stipulated that the teachers must pay tax on these earnings, which is fair enough as everybody must pay tax. However, the teachers have naturally increased their rate and from September the fee will increase from €50 to €80, which will constitute an increased fee of €500 per night for parents.

There must be some kind of intervention to subsidise these parents. We have to acknowledge the effort parents make to ensure their children have access to equal educational opportunities. The parents who organise this workshop on a weekly basis are taxpayers who are forced to dip into their own pockets to access a service that should be provided by the State. Mainstream funding should be provided for such facilities as dyslexic workshops. In the interim, the Minister for Finance must intervene to provide some sort of subsidy for the voluntary efforts of these parents. They have raised money on their own initiative, including substantial funding from Donegal County Council, money from charity football matches and so on. It is not good enough that they should have to battle so hard for a service that should be provided by the State.