Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I share the good wishes that Senator Fitzgerald has expressed for the talks in Northern Ireland. Everybody in this House believes the process of government and ongoing administration in Northern Ireland must be deeply embedded and the current crisis must be overcome. We wish all participants in the talks well.

Senator O'Toole spoke on motion No. 21 on the Order Paper. I hope the Leader is in a position to take it without debate in order that the House can show its collective belief as regards the need to control properly the sale and use of synthetic drugs in Ireland. It is a topic that needs a great deal more scrutiny to ensure greater levels of control.

There is no doubt education spending has to be reduced, with spending in other Departments, owing to the current economic climate. However, the reductions made have been rolled back in several areas. In the latest Estimates the smallest reduction is in education. With the return to additional expenditure in education, we will see the hiring of additional teachers at primary and secondary level, with the partial implementation of the EPSOM Act through the hiring of a number of psychologists for the National Educational Psychological Service. This will go some way towards remedying the situation with special needs assistants, a process that needs to be reviewed. Even in schools where children with special needs have moved on, the special needs assistants remain and have been asked to carry out other duties. We should have a debate on this issue, but I am sure the Leader believes we have enough to do today.