Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have organised briefing on hemochromatosis this afternoon in the audiovisual room. The former Deputy, Senator and Seanad Leader, Maurice Manning, who has hemochromatosis, will speak. This is important because many people have the condition. It would much be much appreciated if Senators could attend or arrange for a member of their staff to attend. I think it will be very informative

I welcome to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery, Niamh Kilcawley. She featured on the "Prime Time" programme a couple of weeks ago on which I was on the panel. She spoke about reasonable accommodation and the lack of cop-on when it comes to providing reasonable accommodation to blind and visually impaired and other people with print disabilities. The ten minutes an hour allotted for State examinations is the same as when I was in school in the mid-1990s. It has not moved on even though technology has moved on, ambitions have moved on and circumstances have moved on.

I am calling for a debate on education for people with print disabilities, people who are visually impaired, people who have dyslexia and people who are blind. We should have an open and frank discussion on modernising their reasonable accommodation, bringing it up to the digital age. Niamh was very courageous for sharing her story on national television. She is doing her transition-year work experience in my office today and I sincerely hope she enjoys it. Even though she is very young, she is a very effective advocate. I have no doubt that when she moves on to college, she will be a very formidable force in Irish life.