Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following:

"—recognises that the Government has very tangibly demonstrated its commitment to people with a disability, and that people with a disability continue to be a priority for this Government;

notes the greatly increased funding base for disability services that has been built up over recent years, particularly the additional €425 million in respect of disability services allocated to the HSE since 2006;

recognises that the Government has devised and implemented effective structures for the co-ordination and integration of services for people with disabilities, in particular the establishment of the Office for Disability and Mental Health, headed by a Minister of State, and of a Cross-Sectoral Team, under the aegis of that office, to co-ordinate activities and services across relevant Departments and agencies;

commends the significant increase in the number of therapy professionals employed by the HSE in recent years in areas such as Speech and Language and Occupational Therapies, Physiotherapy and Psychology, who deliver services to those most in need;

welcomes the commencement of the Disability Act 2005 for children under 5, and the introduction for these children of the right to an independent assessment of the health and educational needs arising from their disability, in recognition of the fact that intervention early in life can have a significant impact on the disabling effects of a condition or impairment;

welcomes the Government's continued commitment to children with disabilities in Budget 2009, through the provision of an additional €20 million for the further enhancement of health and educational services;

commends the announcement that the Government will deliver additional therapy professionals targeted at children of school-going age in 2009, totalling some 125 posts in all service areas including Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Social Work for new and existing multidisciplinary teams;

recognises, in the context of the current difficult scenario for the public finances, that it is imperative to target provision in the most efficient and effective manner possible to ensure that available resources have optimal impact on the services and supports that are available to those who need them;

acknowledges major improvements that have been made in special education in recent years, underpinned by a doubling of investment since 2004 to €900 million this year and the provision of approximately 19,000 Teachers and Special Needs Assistants to work solely with children with special needs;

appreciates that in any area of historic under-provision it takes time to bring services up to the optimum level and supports the Government's determination, in a difficult budgetary environment, to prioritise investment for children with special educational needs by:

ensuring that teaching and care supports are available to children with special needs so that they can continue to access an education that is appropriate to their needs;

expanding the National Educational Psychological Service to provide support to every school in the country;

enhancing the capacity of the National Council for Special Education to co-ordinate the provision of services to children with special educational needs;

funding the provision of expert support, professional development and training opportunities in special education for principals, class and subject teachers, special class teachers, learning support and resource teachers and special needs assistants.".

I am delighted to contribute to the debate on this issue, which concerns us all. We are public representatives with an obligation to listen to the views of the public and to represent them. Education of people with disabilities is an issue close to all our hearts. I will outline the work done in recent years, which cannot go unnoticed.