O’Keeffe: Special needs will be spared cuts

THE area of special needs will not be affected by any budgetary cuts, Education and Science Minister Batt O’Keeffe declared yesterday.

“We want to make certain that, in any education cutbacks, special needs will not be affected by either the employment of teachers, special needs assistants or, indeed, annual grants. They have been devoid of any cuts in that area and that is as it should be,” he said, pointing out that the Government has prioritised the area of special needs over the next number of years.

Mr O’Keeffe was speaking at the presentation of the Cork Person of the Month award in Charleville, Co Cork, to Dr Martin O’Donnell, who has been chairman of what is now St Joseph’s Foundation, founded in the town 40 years ago.