John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

It shows that the rising tide is lifting all boats.

On the matter of access to education for people of all abilities, Senator Cox asked about provision for people with disabilities. We addressed this area on Committee Stage in the Dáil. Senator Cox and others will be pleased to hear that I recently opened the Institute for Intellectual Disability in Trinity College, Dublin. It offers courses in contemporary living for young people with intellectual disability. They are able to walk through the gates of Trinity College and pursue a course in the same way as students who are studying for a primary degree, a masters or a PhD. That is the type of initiative to which Senator Cox was referring. I would like such an initiative to be emulated throughout the rest of the colleges. The opening of this institute is a start of what is needed in this area and it is greatly supported by a number of bodies. With determination, initiatives could be taken to reach out to students who are progressing through mainstream first and second level education.

With regard to sections of Bill dealing with the use of the title of director or president of an institute, I introduced an amendment to allow the governing bodies to call the head of the institute the director, president or any other title as long as the I approve it because I do not want those individuals to call themselves "high chief" or some other such title.