Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

It is regrettable the Minister cannot see that the provision could be for one month rather than three. While I accept the Minister of State's comments on the professionals involved, it is within their professional capacity to implement my amendment. As other Senators and I have said over and over again, time is of the essence in this area. The provision as drafted is impractical. If the school year starts in September and a plan is implemented in January, the time in between will have been lost. It will be impossible for a child with special needs to make this time up in a mainstream school. The imperative will be to have as many as possible of the children with special needs in a school matching the pace of the mainstream. We cannot say we are doing everything possible within the timeframe when it is possible for the professionals involved to provide a plan within one month rather than three. The delay is significant and must cause concern to all involved.