Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

It will be some time before Roscommon achieves that.

A group of parents are protesting outside of the gates of Leinster House to highlight the failure by Minister for Education and Science to deliver the necessary funding for the maintenance of St. Catherine's school for children with autism. Given that this is a pre-school facility which prepares children for integration into mainstream education, it is a pity that the Minister resorted to the courts rather than resolve the issue openly and in consultation with the people concerned. The amount of finance involved is small and the resources required for court proceedings, which will bring useless results, will be wasted. I ask the Leader to approach the Minister with regard to making the appropriate gestures and entering consultations. Can any of us imagine what it means for parents to have to stand outside the gates of Leinster House on a day like today in order to highlight the injustice being perpetrated on them and their children, who are entitled to a proper service?

I support the comments on decentralisation. It is important that we acknowledge the public servants who have indicated their inability or unwillingness to decentralise. The loss of the personnel and experience which has been built up over the years will have negative implications for the entire nation. The NRA intends to decentralise 90 staff members to Ballinasloe, yet only one has expressed a willingness to transfer. That indicates something must be done. The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, who has responsibility for this matter, should come into this House, forget about his political stunts and face up to the fact that decentralisation as it is currently presented simply will not work.