Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I add my voice to the welcome for the Croatian ambassador and the pupils from Malahide.They are all very welcome in this distinguished Chamber. I wish to raise a number of items. The first is on the decision announced last night regarding the provision of special education regional centres, seemingly across Dublin. I was surprised and shocked when I read the level of detail that was available. I appreciate that more is still to come. This would involve taking children from their communities, segregating them, bringing them into the region away from their communities. We all know that segregation is the very opposite of inclusion. Over the past 20 to 25 years, the whole educational process for children with additional and special needs has been towards integration in order that they can learn with their siblings, neighbours and friends within the community. The fact that this approach has been announced is a retrograde step. As Inclusion Ireland – The National Association for People with an Intellectual Disability said, it is ten steps back on the path to inclusive education. I believe it is a wrong decision. I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, has said that she would act on section 37 to make sure that local schools would provide adequate places. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and I worked hard in the last Dáil on the then Joint Committee on Education and Skills to make sure that was put in place. I think that process has been initiated too late. In terms of school planning I cannot understand why places must be looked for so late in the day. We need to have a debate in this regard.

I also want to raise the new professional body for early childhood and school age professionals, Professional Educators and Managers Ireland, PEMI. It was officially launched yesterday in Buswells Hotel by the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman. It is important and represents a significant milestone in the drive to professionalise the early childhood and school age profession. All professions have a professional body that can represent members and act as stakeholders. This is first time for those in early education. It is a positive move and I look forward to further engagement with PEMI.

Finally I welcome the commitment of almost €7 million to County Kildare from the Minister for Health. That will go in particular to Monasterevin for the re-establishment of the day care centre; to St. Vincent’s Hospital, Athy, to a 95-bed unit for older people; and €500,000 will go to the health centre in Kilmeague - I know the Leader was in Kilmeague a few years ago - which is great for the community. Moreover, a very sizeable amount of almost €4 million will go to Naas General Hospital, which is badly needed for so many services there. It is a very welcome injection for the health services for people in County Kildare.