Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for what was a comprehensive statement to the House on the motion. Senators on all sides of the House will always want greater provision of resources, new reports and new investigations, and it is our duty to remind the Government of the need to do that, but it is important that we acknowledge the work that has been done and the fact that there are more SNAs. The Minister stated earlier that it is constantly highlighted that there are fewer SNAs than was the case previously, but we can see that there are more. This debate is always difficult because it is an emotive area. We highlight the areas we can shout about while forgetting that we must give credit to the work being done and to the dedication of many people in Government in making sure there is better resource allocation for our young people in their schools.

I concur with Senator Jim D'Arcy that it is unfortunate that amendments have been tabled, because we should try to work together to encourage the Government to commit those resources and implement the NCSE's recommendations on the allocation of teaching resources. We note that extra money has been made available, including €4 million for 80 new therapy posts. I do not hear any mention of that on the opposite side of the House, yet it is a welcome measure.

I thank the Minister. I thank my colleagues, Senators Mary Moran and Marie Moloney, for proposing the motion, which allowed us to discuss the issue. We must make sure these children are always on our agenda and that we do not forget their needs. We must urge the Government to commit to them and to keep up the good work.