Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

In the time I have, it is important to say the experience we have and the disability issues we have learned about are going to lead us to putting actions in place to make sure people with additional needs can say the Irish education system really did them proud, whatever role they had.International studies show that for people with additional needs, one of the great things is nature. Some of the stuff we have lost over the years, such as sensory gardens, are being put in again, as are therapies such as equine therapies. Many second level schools have school dogs at the gate. That is all going back to what people did maybe centuries ago in the context of embracing nature in education. We will have to do that to make sure we get the best for our students. In recent months, we have been working on the new therapy services to which I refer. That work is going on apace. They will first go into special schools and then into special classes. They will be a great enabler for the teams in those schools, but more importantly, for the students.

We have a great deal of work to do. We have brought forward the dates for next year in order to create certainty for families and build a system in which families who have children with additional needs have confidence in the system and do not have to take to the streets to challenge it. There is a fight for everything. That is some of the anecdotal evidence we have from across the world. It is not only in Ireland. I am committed to working with the Minister. We work extremely closely to try to make sure we have a system that is fit for purpose