Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I second Senator Fitzgerald's amendment to the Order of Business asking the Minister for Education and Science to come before the House immediately to address the appalling disservice he has done to 500 children with mild learning disabilities. We have fought hard for these children to ensure their classes are maintained. Senators from all parties described the Minister's announcement on this issue as a bad move. Some of the children in question cannot speak or use the toilet alone. We now learn that 200 posts must be filled if they are to be given an appropriate education in mainstream classes. The policy of inclusion adopted in this country requires that appropriate resources be provided to enable these children to be educated in a mainstream classroom. When will those 200 posts be filled?

I was delighted with the global economic recovery debate that David McWilliams had at the weekend at Farmleigh House. I was particularly pleased by the emphasis on the importance of education on research and development to help us move forward and become strong again as a nation. It is time for the Minister for Education and Science to come clean with the people and tell us his plans for funding third-level education. Will he bring back fees? I am being lobbied, as I am sure others are, because there is great concern about whether parents will be able to afford third-level education for their children.

I wish to compliment Mr. Justice Frank Clarke on his work in clarifying facts concerning the Lisbon referendum, but he still has a lot more to do. He must find a way to counter false claims that are currently being made so that people will have the facts before 2 October. I refer in particular to worrying information on euthanasia, which is being placed in churches in novena-style leaflets. An old woman attended a public meeting and showed me such a leaflet, which incites fear.

Equally, there are false claims by Sinn Féin that a "Yes" vote will crush family farms. I happen to live on such a farm and but for Europe and the single farm premium we would not survive. Sinn Féin claims that a "Yes" vote will lower wages when in fact we are protected here by the minimum wage legislation. Many other scare-mongering techniques are being propagated at the moment. The Leader should ask Mr. Justice Clarke to examine the range of misleading claims that are appearing on "No" campaign posters with a view to correcting such misinformation.