Averil Power (Fianna Fail)

I raise the same concerns I raised regarding the earlier amendments. Can the Minister reassure me and the House that the Minister for Health has that positive responsibility for delivery of health therapies in schools and that this will not leave a gap in that regard? The reality for many children with special needs is that they cannot avail of an education without the appropriate health therapies. The Minister is saying these provisions will not impact on what is being delivered currently but, unfortunately, in many cases the health therapies are not being delivered and that is holding back children. I am in favour of availing of education. I understand the need to ensure the Department of Health has a clear responsibility but I want to be assured that the Minister for Health has that responsibility and that somebody will be co-ordinating and checking that both the health and the education components are working properly. I appreciate that is the job of the National Council for Special Education as an agency but at ministerial level and at the Cabinet table will the Minister for Health have a clear responsibility for the delivery of health therapies in schools?