Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

It is great that Dr. Somers had the courage to say what he said during a committee meeting about the unworkability of the current National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, proposal. I hear every day on the doorsteps that people are sick and tired of the fact that the only recipients of money from the Government at present are the banks. Let us be straight and listen carefully to what Dr. Somers said. We need no more covering up or pretence. It is time the Government got it right and listened to all parties on this issue, including the proposal of Deputy Richard Bruton.

As I speak, there is a mother armed with psychologists' reports walking around Galway with her 12 year old autistic son looking for a place for him next September. She is doing so because the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, has cut classes for those with mild learning difficulties. The child has no place to go and his condition is too severe for him to enter mainstream education. His psychologist has said his mother should look for a place for him in first year because he could not tolerate two changes in two consecutive years. Who is to help this mother right now?