Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Many here will have been at last week’s launch of the report compiled by AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland. The report contains survey results which show that 35% of disabled children endure seclusion and 27% suffer restraint at school. Children have a right to feel safe at school. AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland have called for guidance and regulations in schools. Anyone who saw the reporting on this since then would be horrified to think that children continue to be treated like that simply because they have needs that are not being met in school. I was particularly struck by the person who spoke of how they were kept in a room with no light and how their next school had to work twice as hard to ensure that the child knew they would be safe in their new school because the child had been so traumatised by their experience. A great deal of work is being done on autism, led by Senator Carrigy, but perhaps the Minister should come before the House to discuss how we support disabled children in particular and the rights they do and do not have in school settings and the rights they should have in those settings. That is important.

Over the weekend, a call was put out regarding a wildlife crime unit. Plans for a new wildlife crime unit were announced in October 2020. At the time, the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, said that it was proposed to establish that dedicated unit in 2021 and that this would ensure a strategic and standardised approach to dealing with illegal persecution of wildlife. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, said the unit would put greater focus on the issue of wildlife crime including the illegal hunting of hares. It seems there was a subsequent U-turn and plans for a wildlife crime unit have been scrapped. Perhaps it ought to be a Commencement matter but I wonder if we could ask the Minister to come to the House to discuss this and the broader issue of animal welfare, particularly in the context of wildlife. Every year, there is discussion about licences being given to hunt certain animals or certain animals being gathered up, especially hares for coursing. We are one of the only countries in the world that still allows such a barbaric sport. I would like the House to debate that and, if we are being specific, specifically on the wildlife crime unit and what we as a country stand for the context of wildlife and animal welfare.