State role on special tuition defended

THE Government “does not force” any parent into court to get special education for their children, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insisted yesterday.

Mr Ahern was responding in the Dáil to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who said there were approximately 150 such cases waiting to be heard in the High Court.

Mr Kenny said 11,000 children presented with special needs each year. Despite this, parents had to wait between two and seven years to get an assessment for their children, which was “a national scandal”.