Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I second the amendment. I come late to the Bill because I was not dealing with it. The functions of the council, as set out in the Bill, do not feature a reference to the necessity to ensure that adequate numbers of properly trained teachers are available to meet the requirements of making information available, monitoring the progress of students, assessing and reviewing the resources required and ensuring that a continuum of special educational provision is available. These requirements will impact on teachers, particularly since the objective of the legislation is, in as far as possible, to have children with special educational needs educated in the framework of mainstream schools.

I know many teachers and many of my family members are teachers. It is delightful and extraordinary to hear teachers of my age say how good are young new national teachers. Older people often say that national school teachers are no longer as good as in their own time. However, I have heard many national teachers in their 50s and early 60s speak of the extraordinary quality and enthusiasm of their younger counterparts. It is fantastic to hear that the quality of our primary school teachers is, if anything, better than it has ever been. If one imposes a lot of obligations, desirable as they may be, on national teachers without ensuring they receive the training necessary to fulfil those obligations, that goodwill and enthusiasm may be stifled. The Minister of State will respond that such provision for training is implied in many of the provisions of the Bill but the statement that teachers are entitled to training of the highest international standing is necessary, not least for the sake of the teachers themselves. It is necessary in terms of the allocation of resources and also to ensure the fantastic enthusiasm and idealism of young national teachers is not stifled by aspirations that are not matched by the provision for training.