IPPN

Published: 13 February 2009

Source: Fine Gael

FG Dáil Motion to reverse special ed. cutbacks

Batt O'Keeffe ignored his own experts on special education before he
decided to implement huge cutbacks this week it has emerged this morning
(Friday), Fine Gael Education Spokesman, Brian Hayes TD said.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is tasked with advising
the Minister on special education. Despite claiming that he made the
decision to cutback on special education on 'educational grounds', it has
been confirmed that Batt O'Keeffe refused to wait for a report on special
education provision from the NCSE that he had commissioned.

"This makes it crystal clear that Batt O'Keeffe made this vicious decision
for financial reasons and that claims that it was done on an 'educational
basis' are completely false.

"The NCSE, on instruction from the Department of Education, is carrying out
a review of special education provision at the moment. This review is still
being compiled and has not been published yet.

"Batt O'Keeffe suggested that the withdrawal of special needs teachers is
due to the fact that the Department is taking an 'integration approach' to
the education of children with special needs. If he asked the NCSE, the
national experts in special needs education, to compile a report on the
issue, surely he should wait until they have finished compiling it and
published it before taking such a decision. What evidence or advice does he
have aside from that of his financial advisors that this is a good idea?

"Alongside this, the Minister must clarify what consultation he had with
the NCSE prior to making his decision to cut special education classes.

"The truth of the matter is that Batt O'Keeffe viciously targeted the most
vulnerable in our education system to try and cut expenditure and then
tried to hide behind spurious educational arguments. Compare this to the
treatment of developers who lobbied Fianna Fáil for a bail-out in the form
of €500 million 'Home Choice Loan Scheme' and got exactly what they asked
for.

"This represents a new low and the decision must be reversed. I am now
calling on the Green Party to state their views on this issue and to state
if they were consulted in advance of the decision. I will be publishing a
Motion, which I will bring to the Dáil, that calls for the decision to be
reversed (see below) and urge all Deputies to support it."

Note: Fine Gael Motion follows

That Dáil Eireann demands that the Minister for Education and Science
immediately withdraws his proposal to suppress 128 special classes in
mainstream primary schools for pupils with mild general learning
disabilities from September 2009 and, given the failure of his Department
to implement the EPSEN Act 2004 and his failure to publish any educational
justification for this decision, that it now be rescinded.

- Brian Hayes, Enda Kenny and all Fine Gael Deputies