I join the leader of my party in this House, Senator Darragh O'Brien, and other colleagues in strongly condemning the reduction in support hours for pupils with special educational needs. Some 42,500 children will be deprived next year of additional teaching supports to which they are entitled. I absolutely condemn that decision.

I support the call by Senator Paschal Mooney and others for a debate on alcohol in our society, not only in terms of sponsorship of sports by alcohol companies but also the abuse of alcohol which is prevalent in all 32 counties of this island. I refer to the 32 counties because if we are to deal with the problem, it must be done on an all-island basis. I am aware, coming from a Border county, that if a law is introduced in this jurisdiction which increases the price of alcohol, one only has to go 7 miles up the road to avoid it. A lack of co-ordination in this regard between North and South will defeat the whole purpose of any initiative this State might introduce. The reality is that people will travel to the North from all over the Twenty-six Counties to avail of cheaper alcohol.

I welcome the comments yesterday by the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, in which he encouraged people who want to take a drink to do so in a pub setting. When one is drinking in a pub, one is at least subject to opening and closing hours. Spirits are provided in standard measures and there are only so many pints one can drink, no matter how large one's stomach. I join the Minister in encouraging people to do their drinking in the pub. Moreover, I urge the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, to be brave by forgetting about adding a few cent to the price of alcohol in pubs and instead impose a levy of €5 on a bottle of wine. The evidence suggests that wine often features where there is problem drinking in a home setting.

I conclude by asking whether the Leader would agree that we have a very well balanced Government in terms of the number of promises that have been broken by both Fine Gael and the Labour Party.

That is rich coming from a member of Fianna Fáil.

That is an easy line to spin. All we hear about are the mistakes of the past, not those of the present.

I have called Senator Jim D'Arcy. Members must allow him to speak.

I recall participating in a radio discussion in 2002 with a Fianna Fáil election candidate who informed listeners that 2,000 additional teaching posts were to be created in schools throughout the country. I went back to school delighted to be able to inform my colleagues that we would be getting extra teachers. It seemed it was all over and I could pull out of the election with an easy conscience.

Does Senator D'Arcy have a question for the Leader?

In fact, we did not get any new teachers.

You cannot stand over these cuts, Jim.

Senator D'Arcy without interruption. Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

I am obliged to respond to some of the nonsense we have heard this morning from the other side of the House. This is the third year in a row that the number of special needs assistants and resource teachers has been protected by the Government.

The Senator needs to get his facts straight.

As regards the 10% reduction in support hours, the National Council for Special Education has asked schools to use theme teaching where possible. I visited Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál in Kilsaran, County Louth, last week with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, and my constituency colleague, Deputy Gerald Nash. There are 18 SNAs in that school, all doing a wonderful job for the pupils in their care. Anybody who visited it could not fail to be convinced of the Minister's commitment to special educational needs.

There has been a 25% reduction in provision in two years.

He is working, however, within the limits imposed upon him as a consequence of the squandering of moneys that went on under the previous Government. Money was thrown about like confetti for years and now there is nothing left in the pot.

Will Senator D'Arcy put a question to the Leader?

There are more than 10,000 SNAs in the system. I am surprised that a person of such integrity as Senator Darragh O'Brien will not acknowledge the work being done by the Minister to retain resources and funding in the area of special educational needs.

Senator D'Arcy should see what response he gets if he makes that argument to parents of children with special needs.

Senators, please.

Not a single SNA in Donegal will lose his or her job this year.

That is not true.

Will the Senator please put a question to the Leader? He is out of time at this stage.

Apologies, a Chathaoirligh, I do not often get hot and bothered. Senator David Cullinane said he was a bit angry this morning; I am very angry at what certain colleagues have said. The Minister has asked the NCSE to establish a working group to begin developing a proposal for a revised allocation mechanism.

I would like that process to be fast-tracked and a report on the matter provided sooner rather than later.

I feel sad rather than angry about the latest cut in provision for children with special needs. That is what it is. The officials say it is a case of doing more with the same rather than doing the same with less. However, when it comes down to it, there is extra demand. If a child needs five hours' attention in a week then that is what he or she needs, not the four and a quarter hours proposed for this year or the three and three quarter hours proposed for next year. It is this intervention that enables many children to participate in mainstream education.

A few weeks ago, I tabled a Private Members' motion on the implementation of the report of the National Council for Special Education. On that occasion, credit was given to the Government for what it had achieved, including the 10,000 special needs assistants currently in place and the degree of commitment to provision in this area. However, I thought on that occasion that the Minister looked a little sheepish. I now know why. This is an unacceptable cut. Senator D'Arcy said the Minister was doing the best for his Government. He will forgive me if I am more inclined to believe the statement of Patricia Griffin of Down Syndrome Ireland that the cuts are utterly unacceptable. I think this is an understatement.

Education is extremely important to every parent and family. Ireland is traditionally known as the land of saints and scholars. For many years, the education system has, unfortunately, deprived people with disabilities of a proper education. If it were not for the good graces of special schools, such as those for the blind and deaf and special schools in general, people with disabilities would have been deprived of a basic education. I always believed that the introduction of the special needs assistant and resource hours structure was a positive step forward in creating equality in education. However, that system is now broken. The announcement made yesterday is not acceptable, including the manner in which it was announced, because of the confusion it has caused. I call on the Minister for Education and Skills to immediately clarify the situation and make a statement to let the parents of the 42,500 vulnerable children in this country know that this State does care and that what is proposed is an administrative change rather than anything else.

I believe that not all of the 42,500 children concerned need resources. I welcome the announcement of a review of the methodology used in this regard. I support the calls made in this House that that process be fast-tracked. If there is waste within the allocation of special needs assistants and resource teachers then let us address that rather than introducing a universal cut, the result of which will be the provision of 25% fewer resource hours as compared with those available in 2008. Let us deal with the system and not introduce a universal cut. Universal cuts as a rule do not work. I want every primary school teacher in this country to have the skills of a resource or special needs assistant.

The Senator is over time.

I would like us to arrive at a situation whereby 10,500 special needs assistants are not required.

The Senator can make those points during the debate.

We must improve the skills of our teachers to such a degree that they can provide the necessary supports. A statement from the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn - not his Department - is an absolute priority at this point.

I also wish to raise the issue of special needs education. We all subscribe to the fact that we are in stringent times and that money is not as readily available to the Exchequer as it was previously. That is a fact. However, the Government must govern and make decisions on how money is spent. The decisions being taken are not protecting the most vulnerable in our society. Two specialist preschools in County Donegal, one in Letterkenny and the other in Donegal town, will close by 2015 as a result of the Government's policy to mainstream specialist preschool education for children who require nurses and medical assistance. These children are now being asked to attend mainstream preschools. Mainstream preschool professionals have stated that this is not possible. Therefore, the decision being made by the Government will affect children who can hardly walk or are blind or unable to feed themselves, which is a disgrace. No Government in any State should stoop to that level of attack on the most vulnerable.

The 25% reduction in the provision for special needs assistants is another glaring example of this. There are other choices and alternative ways of governing and raising money. We are currently spending almost €650 million on foreign aid to fund abortion clinics in Ethiopia and so on. Is this the right thing to do at a time when cuts are being made to special education facilities for the most vulnerable children in our own country? The Constitution states that all children should be cherished equally.

The Senator is over time.

On the Government's watch, that is not happening.