Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I am providing this information for the benefit of the House. The National Asset Management Agency is open to receiving questions and attending meetings and has even provided a special e-mail contact for Oireachtas Members.

I propose to follow up on Senator Eamonn Coghlan's comments on the positive energy and inspiration provided by the 107 Special Olympics medalists. It often intrigues me that Ireland's special Olympians achieve much more success than able bodied sportspersons. It is an inspiration to see how the Irish team performed. The previous Government did not commence the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, which was enacted in 2004. The programme for Government includes a commitment to implement the Act. I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, to come before the House to make a statement on how this commitment will be met in this term given the resource implications involved. I have requested on several occasions that the Minister come before the House for a broad debate on our vision for education. Such a debate should be held before the summer recess in order that Senators are ready for the new session in September.

I concur with Senator Quinn on the need for a broader debate on social protection. The Minister for Social Protection has been to the House on a number of occasions, including for the debate on the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill. I tabled a number of amendments on that occasion but they were not discussed. The Minister told Members she is setting up a reform commission on welfare. We should invite her to the House to discuss the terms of reference of that commission. We could, for example, explore the feasibility of a household or family welfare cap and how it could be applied fairly, and the rate of support Ireland pays to non-resident families where one parent is working in this country. It is ludicrous that we are paying Irish levels of welfare payments to people in other countries and not the rate of the home country. I raised those questions with the Minister but did not get answers. We need-----