Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

Along with other colleagues, I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Science to the House to discuss an announcement she made in August. Many Senators know she plans that parents will receive reports on their children's progress in school at the ages of seven and 11. As the new spokesperson for education and science, I welcome this move. However, I would like her to tease it out. Has she fully considered the implications in terms of resources? I fear it will open a can of worms. It is a can of worms which needs to be opened but I am not happy with the amount of resources in place, especially with regard to children with learning difficulties. I have first-hand experience in this area. At this time of major prosperity, a pupil in a primary school of 200 children who requires psychological assessment qualifies for one to two assessments. This means a parent must spend €400 to have the child privately assessed. Many colleagues and friends who are parents have experienced this. Providing parents with reports on their children will further exacerbate this need.

I join my colleague, Senator Frances Fitzgerald, in asking that the Minister come to the House to address the matter of school provision and forward planning at primary and second level and advance the Adamstown model.

Ba mhaith liom díospóireacht faoi múineadh na Gaeilge mar a dúirt an tSeanadóir O'Toole. Tá fadhbanna againn le múineadh na Gaeilge and it is time that we addressed the teaching of the language.

Will the Leader invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to discuss the census of 2006? Will the Minister conduct an early review of the electoral area boundaries? The last review was ten years ago. I would like the results of such a review to be in place in time for the local elections of 2009. We experienced major demographic shifts since the last review. This should be up to date to address the population needs as they exist.