Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Last week I asked if the Minister for Education and Science would waive the legal costs incurred by parents who unsuccessfully sought adequate help and educational facilities for their child and I very much welcome that she has done so. However, the Minister's statement yesterday, which she reiterated today, is very serious. She warned solicitors and parents not to go down the road of litigation. If the Minister believes litigation is the first call of many parents who have been put through the wringer in demanding improvements in their children's education, she is totally removed from the reality. It is important we highlight the fact the Minister said that the costs of litigation will be taken from the resources which were supposedly ring-fenced for those with special educational needs. If she is saying that she intends to waste money on litigation rather than ring-fence the resources made available for special needs under the Act, it is time she came to the House and explained herself in regard to the implementation of that legislation.