Seanad debates

Wednesday, 15 May 2019

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:30 am

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Anybody who thinks it would be a feather in the Government’s cap to rush through the Bill should look around a few corners. The situation is serious. We are going to make the homelessness crisis in Dublin worse with this legislation. We are not thinking through the implications of what we are doing.

Following on from what Senator Hopkins said, we must do something about insurance. Based on the figures she gave us, it will cost €1,000 per pupil to insure a special needs school. Either something is completely wrong with our civil liability law, insurance, the legal system or whatever else, but that cannot be defended. It is only one instance of spiralling insurance costs. Something must be done to address it. We have had all the commissions and inquiries. We have had all the fingers pointed by one interest group at another saying it is to blame, but the Government must now grasp this nettle and do something about it. We cannot have a school driven out of existence by putting a €1,000 levy on every single pupil who attends a special needs school.

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