The Taoiseach has pledged to honour promises to improve services for children and adults with special needs but has rejected demands to recall the Dail to discuss the Jamie Sinnott case.
Speaking to reporters in Sao Paolo yesterday, Mr Ahern said the Government had pledged "a lot of resources" to the issue. He said the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, would next week publish a comprehensive statement of what the Government had done and intended to do.
He said the Cabinet had decided on Wednesday in his absence against the Opposition proposals to recall the Dail. "We're not two weeks out of the place," he said.
He said Dr Woods had "taken a special and very detailed interest in special education aspects of his Department. For his estimates last year and this year he has fought very hard and succeeded in getting additional money for special education.
"It is a good thing that we have reached a point in our economic cycle where we can go in and give a lot of money to special education and I am totally supportive of that."
Earlier this week two of the four Independent TDs who have supported the Fianna Fail-Progressive Democrats Coalition since 1997, Ms Mildred Fox and Mr Harry Blaney, supported the push by Fine Gael and Labour for a recall.
Despite this show of public support, neither had lobbied the Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, by yesterday evening for a concession.
There are no indications that the Government will face a revolt by Fianna Fail backbenchers, who have been somewhat reassured by guarantees that Ms Kathryn Sinnott, and her 23-year-old autistic son, Jamie, will not have to pay any of their legal costs.