Hold on a minute, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. I have the permission of the parents, so I will not be impugned.

I will not be impugned in this way. If anybody thinks that vindicating or advocating for the rights of a disabled child will somehow embarrass them in the future, that is an absolute disgrace. I call on you, a Leas-Chathaoirligh to withdraw the formula of words you have just used there and have them struck from the record, because I will not have my contributions here framed in that negative way.

No, you are not making it clear. You are making it unclear. You are creating an element of doubt. You are obfuscating, you are conflating and you are eliding, and I will not tolerate it.

I want the clock set back to three minutes. I am here to advocate for the rights of disabled children-----

-----and I would never raise or mention the name of a child without their parent's permission-----

-----and if you want, I can hand you the email with that permission-----

-----if you are not going to take my word for it.

I think we need to start again and I want that formula of words you used removed from the record because I will not have my contributions framed in that manner.

No, you are not. You used a formula of words-----

-----that brought me into disrepute and impugned my integrity.

I am saying it because that is what you did.

It is not my opinion; it is an objective fact-----

-----if you look back at the record.

I want the clock set back to three minutes.

Can we start again? I raise the case of a 14-year-old boy in Tralee, Daniel Collins, who, like thousands of other disabled children in Ireland, is not receiving the support, therapies or surgical interventions he needs to grow and thrive as a young man. He is 14 years old, he has autism and cerebral palsy and, since August 2024, he has been categorised as an urgent case for spinal surgery. His scoliotic curve has now increased to beyond 90°. If that continues, it will render him inoperable. For the last long eight …

-----spend millions and millions on legal fees and senior counsel to put families like this through an adversarial system-----

-----and to push back against them getting their treatment. I am asking the Leader that we have a debate with the new Minister with responsibility for children, disability, integration, youth and so on, Deputy Foley, to try to see whether there is-----

-----a way forward with this. I do not want to come in here every week for the next four years and raise-----

-----these cases. Let us turn it into a good news story and try to change something for children within the life of this Government.

The Minister is very welcome to the House and I thank her for being here. I want to make a few general points about early and preschool education in Ireland. We are both former teachers. I was a primary school teacher back in the 1980s, briefly. In fact, I would say that I have not really worked since. It is a very tough job. Philosophically, we all accept that the State should provide education for children at primary level, from junior infants and senior infants right through, and at second level. The State suppo…