Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

We thought we had heard everything there was to hear about the banking culture in this country. Senators from all sides will be horrified at the most recent revelations regarding the bail-out, namely, the cooking of the books by which one bank lent to Anglo Irish Bank on the day before its results were to be announced last September. The culture emerging from our banking system is extraordinarily disturbing. We have seen another serious blow to our international reputation this morning with the news that is emerging. I say that very regretfully because we all want to see the real economy working and credit being given to firms.

We will put billions of euro into the banks but if there is not clearer regulation and control by Government, it will be hard to see how the taxpayer will get value for money and the real economy will start to work again. It is absolutely disgraceful for the ordinary taxpayer to see the kind of insider culture that, apparently, has been operating for years with different rules applying to insider groups and with different credit arrangements, which are shocking. I and Fine Gael are very disturbed by it and we will make our own recommendations in regard to the banks recapitalisation.

I would like the Leader to raise the following matter with the Minister for Education and Science. In his speech in the House yesterday, I do not believe he said what he was going to do to special classes and children with disabilities. A letter has been sent to more than 100 schools affecting hundreds of children with special needs stating that special needs classes in schools must be shut down by next September. This means a loss of more than 128 special teaching posts and it will affect children in 119 schools.

This morning the INTO said that this latest Government plan is an outrageous dismantling of the special education infrastructure. The people will hear about the money going into the banks but they will also hear about the Government taking away these services from the most vulnerable in our society, those with special needs.

Will the Leader ask the Minister for Education and Science to account for what he is doing? It was outrageous that when he came into the House yesterday this matter was not on the agenda and that no explanation was given to the Seanad. If there are to be cuts to frontline services, at the very least we should have a discussion in the House. It was a sham for the Minister to come into the House yesterday while at the same time send letters to schools cutting vital services and not even mention it to Senators. It was a disgrace and I ask the Leader to approach the Minister for Education and Science to ask for information on what is happening in special education.

We have seen the suspension of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, which is completely against stated Government policy in the past few years. This is a disgraceful measure. It is outrageous that the most vulnerable people are being hit while we are putting billions of euro into banks which have not been accountable.