Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

That is the best way to achieve societal mix with understanding and challenge.

To everyone dealing in disadvantaged areas, the expectations of young people should be as high as they are in the Dún Laoghaire constituency. Too many young people tell me their parents and teachers do not expect anything of them. If one does not expect it of them, they will not perform. As a community, we must ensure they feel challenged to reach their potential.

There is also the challenge of young people with special educational needs. Up to 17,000 people are employed in our schools to work with young people with special needs. That is a sea change in the support given to these young people. It is not all right and perfect. We still have much more to do but that indicates the progress made, for example, a child with a learning difficulty has automatic access to a resource teacher in his or her school, and there are more than 270 units for autistic children around the country, 75 of which were set up in the past year. I thank the schools for helping us meet that challenge, and the parents for their commitment to getting the best for their children.

Bhí caint anseo faoin tumoideachas. Tá sé deacair labhairt faoi seo mar go bhfuil sé ag dul ós comhair na cúirte. I expect every school in the country to teach Irish ón tús. Iarraim ar ghach scoil, is cuma cá bhfuil siad, cén cúlra atá acu, nó an bhfuil siad sa chathair nó faoin tuath, a ndualgas a chomhlíonadh — tá seo leagtha amach sa churaclam — agus Gaeilge a mhúineadh do na paistí. Equally it states that from the beginning that children should be educated in the two languages. It is public policy that all schools should teach Irish and English to all children. If I thought the Irish language would suffer as a result I would not do this. Parents educated to the highest level send their children to schools such as Scoil Lorcáin in my constituency which is well-established and has a strong socio-economic background so the standard is high as it is in the surrounding schools. There are, however, gaelscoileanna in areas where the children have neither Béarla nor Gaeilge ag teacht isteach. There are children in disadvantaged areas who do not have language skills and we cannot deny those children the Béarla ón tús. That is why it is a matter of public policy. I cannot speak about the Protestant schools because that issue is before the courts but I met with them.

Who would have thought five years ago that there would be 1,800 teachers doing nothing other than teaching English to newcomers?