asked the Minister for Education if he intends to make speech training a subject on the school curriculum, thus giving it its rightful place in education.

Speech training has always formed an integral part of the children's training in national schools. It is a fundamental constituent of the new curriculum and a detailed syllabus for all standards is outlined in the programme. As regards secondary schools, it is not possible under existing circumstances to have speech training included as a separate subject in the curriculum. However, I am having the matter kept under continuing review in my Department.