Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

----- that prejudiced subsequent court cases. We need to be aware that there are ongoing investigations by the Garda, the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Financial Regulator. While they are very important, we all agree that the public deserve answers.

I heard the Minister, Deputy Howlin, speak on the radio this morning. It is important that whatever investigation is established is robust and has the proper terms of reference to deal with this. We will need to discuss how that can best be done, whether it is through an Oireachtas committee or a commission of investigation. However, we need to have powers to be able to come to conclusions on this matter. This will certainly play out in the coming days. All of us are disgusted with it and the citizens deserve answers in this regard. It will move on in the next few days and I encourage the Government to establish as speedily as possible the banking inquiry in whatever guise is best to get the results and the answers we require.

I welcome the reversal of the cut in resource hours that was announced three weeks ago by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn. The additional 12% cut in resource teaching hours has been overturned. I was interested to note that one could overturn a cut that apparently was not actually a cut in the first place because the Government argued at the time that this was not a cut. However, what is important is that the children who require these extra resource-teaching hours will get them. I bring to colleagues' attention that the Minister has not reversed the cuts to the special needs assistants. I welcome that the Minister was able to go to Cabinet and find the additional moneys to ensure that resource hours were given to children who need them. However, some 22,000 children have special needs assistants. That figure has increased from 20,000 last year.

That cut has not been reversed. I encourage the Minister, Deputy Quinn, to ensure that children with special needs, who often have distinct and difficult learning disabilities, are not affected. While I welcome the reversal of part of this cut, which is important, I ask colleagues opposite to examine the detail of it because the cut to special needs assistants' hours has not been reversed, and that must happen. The Seanad played a role in this. We raised it here first on the Order of Business last Tuesday.