INTO criticises Woods over special needs

The INTO's General Secretary, Mr John Carr, today hit out at what he described as the State’s unwillingness to provide costly services to children with special needs.

Mr Carr told delegates at the union’s annual conference in Limerick, that special education in Ireland was in crisis and described the situation as ‘pathetic’.

While political parties quibble over the Campus Stadium Ireland project - costing millions of euros - parents of children with special needs were being dragged through the courts to satisfy the Minister for Education’s concern over the financing of educational services for such children, he said.

"Where are the political voices crying 'stop,' when public monies are being squandered, challenging the rights of vulnerable children to an appropriate education?" he asked.

"Our hypocritical double standards are an indictment of the prevailing political system in this country," he said.

He poured scorn on the fact that as the country was preparing to play host to the Special Olympics the Government was forced to withdraw its recent Disability Bill because it had no means to enforce it.

He said public bodies were reneging on their responsibilities to people with disabilities.

Delegates at the conference backed a motion to draw up new guidelines to help teachers in the North deal with sectarian threats and violence.