Liam Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail)

Whether the formula of words proposed by Senator Burke in his amendment is necessary is a matter for the Minister of State's judgment but the aspiration which it represents is essential. If that aspiration is not translated and given effect in the Bill, the state-of-the-art framework set out in the Bill will not be realised. That there is a timescale for the implementation of the Bill of five years obliges the Government to ensure that sufficient cohorts of the types of specialist teachers to which Senator Burke refers in his amendment are provided. One cannot implement the provisions of this Bill in a top drawer fashion unless the professionals are available at the coalface to do so. The national council for special education or the special educational needs organisers cannot do so, only the teachers can and if they do not have the skills to which Senator Burke referred then the provisions of this Bill, about which we are so enthusiastic, will come to nothing.

In 1985 a Fine Gael Deputy and I were approached by the parents of a six year old boy who had been diagnosed as autistic, although he was later found to be suffering from a condition related to autism rather than autism itself. The boy's father, who was a Fine Gael politician and good friend of mine, was advised by a relative in the then Department of Education that the best course of action was to place the child in a comfortable residential institution for life. Without casting aspersions on any individual, that was the establishment mindset in the Department at the time. This story illustrates how far we have come despite the significant lacunae we all acknowledge are there. The glorious opportunity that is presented by this Bill must not be lost. Incidentally, that six year old boy is now a third level graduate, working as a professional in a building not half a mile from this House. This is a marvellous story of the endurance, commitment and determination of that child's parents and their refusal to accept the mindset of officials who did not have the academic qualifications or the professional expertise to make a holistic judgment as to his requirements. It is frightening to think what could have become of that boy.

There should no longer be a situation where parents must fight the odds. The framework is there, the facilities are there and we must ensure the professionals are there to provide the services. I am unsure if Senator Burke's amendment is required but I am enthusiastic about its intention.