Joe O'Toole (Independent)

With the permission of the Leader, I propose a minor amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 14, Credit Union Savings Protection Bill 2008 — First Stage and No. 15, Mental Capacity and Guardianship Bill 2008 — First Stage, which lapsed with the election, be taken today.

We will have a long debate on Thursday on the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act. I have been a great critic of the Minister for Education and Science with regard to the lack of movement on that issue and the fact it has not been commenced and moneys have not been provided. I have also been a constant critic with regard to the lack of support for special education. However, I would like to clarify one thing. Fair is fair and of all the Ministers for Education and Science we have had over the past 20 years, no other Minister has put more into autism than the current Minister. It is not enough and I have disagreed with her, but in terms of the current row, she has done more than any Minister of the past 20 years on autism. I remember trying to convince Ministers 20 years ago that there was such a condition as autism. One might find that hard to believe, but there was a time when the Department would argue that it was a social and emotional need and not a specific condition.

In the past two months a number of people have raised the question of the Law Society and how it deals with its members. Since we last met, two further members of the Law Society have been dealt with, which amounts to six or eight in the last couple of months. I do not know what is going on in the Law Society, but it seems it only supervises, investigates, takes action or visits members when there is a complaint against them. If there is to be self regulation, it must be proactive. I would like the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to come to the House to explain to us what it means to be a member of the Law Society, what is required of the society and its membership and how it ensures its members are acting properly within its rules. Is the society proactive or reactive?

I remind the Leader that I raised a matter with him and received a positive response a month or so ago. Senators Paul Coghlan, Brian Ó Domhnaill and Pearse Doherty raised the same matter, namely, the question of Valentia and Malin coastguard stations. This is a serious local issue and we should have a discussion on it as soon as possible.