Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

I am not sure if the Minister of State is familiar with the situation that pertains in Inisowen but I want to repeat what I stated in my earlier comments.

All of us involved in politics know that it is hard to engage the public appetite for whatever the cause, but when 350 people turn out to a meeting in a peninsula there is clearly a problem. We are dealing with a small issue in a number of schools but it has had a wide ripple effect. The system that exists at present is not able to deal with the issue satisfactorily in the view of the parents and the teachers.

As I stated earlier, the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act would allow a further method of appeal and, if implemented in full, would get away from this idea where we would reach this stage in the first place. Many SENOs throughout the State are doing an excellent job. Unfortunately, there is an issue in this regard in Inisowen and I would ask the Minister of State to take that on board.

While it is not a question, I ask the Minister of State to also listen to the comments that I have made on this matter. I am supported in this from across the political divide, from Government representatives to ourselves in Sinn Féin, Fine Gael and others. It is an issue at the heart of education, particularly for children with special educational needs. I ask the Minister of State to take that on board and to look at the problem to see if there is anything that can be done at Government level.