Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2004
54 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason the primary education sector is unrepresented for special education in view of the critical urgency of identifying specials needs cases at the earliest possible stage of their educational development, thus precluding the necessity for more intensive intervention at later stages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5121/04]
View answerIn establishing the new National Council for Special Education I did not set out to create a council which was representative of any particular sectoral interests, as I feel that it is very important that it should operate in a cohesive, non-representative way. I have put in place a group of people with a wide range of knowledge and experience in this area. Bodies representing the management authorities of primary schools, along with the INTO, were among the groups I consulted with prior to making appointments to membership of the council.
