Cherish The Children?

The understandable outrage over the duplicitous denials by the Fine Oibre coalition government that educational services for special needs children are being cut continues to grow. From the Irish Examiner:

“Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore was accused of misleading the Dáil after he insisted there would be no reductions in resources for children with special needs.

But Opposition TDs said children were facing cuts to teaching support and that cuts in teaching hours would hit the most vulnerable.

Mr Gilmore said the number of teachers and assistants were not being reduced but the number of children presenting with special needs was increasing by 10%.

The Labour leader faced down shouts from the opposition benches as well as claims from an Independent TD that he was misleading the Dáil.”

Common sense alone tells us that if the numbers of people availing of a particular service increases but the service itself does not  increase to meet that new demand then in real terms the availability of the service is lessened. And in the case above dramatically so.

What has upset many is the high-handed attitude of the Labour Party’s ruling apparatchiks in particular who have simply dismissed all criticism with a disdain borne of absolute power (wielded absolutely). Both An Tánaiste Éamon Gilmore and the Education Minister Ruairí Quinn have acted with complete arrogance in this matter, arrogance verging on callousness. However their actions are not without repercussions. From a report in the Irish Independent:

“A LABOUR TD has quit the party claiming that its Cabinet ministers have brought the entire political system into disrepute.

Dublin West representative Patrick Nulty hit out at Eamon Gilmore and his constituency colleague Joan Burton as he resigned last night.

He accused the ministers of sacrificing basic democratic demands “for their own political ambitions”.

Deputy Nulty was only elected to the Dail 18 months ago to fill the seat left vacant after the death of ex-minister Brian Lenihan.

Shortly after entering Leinster House he put out of the Labour parliamentary party for voting against the Government but his resignation from the party altogether will be seen as a blow to the leadership.

He went on to say that entering coalition with Fine Gael was “a disaster” for Labour and the country.

Mr Nulty said trust in the political system has been broken.

“This means there is a need for new ideas and social movements that are accountable to citizens, not powerful interests,” he continued.

“The most recent example of the Government hitting the most vulnerable hardest is the announcement that children with special education needs will not receive the resource teaching hours they require next September.

“The Government has imposed savage cuts to housing adaptation grants specifically provided to people with disabilities who need alterations to their home.

Labour has already lost four TDs and an MEP from its parliamentary party. Roisin Shortall, Colm Keaveney, Tommy Broughan, and Willie Penrose and MEP Nessa Childers are all outside the party whip.”

One wonders if the contagion of exodus will infect other Labour TDs and councillors as the polls continue to show a party that is in a poor fourth place behind Sinn Féin (which itself is now close on the heels of the two leading parties of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil)?

If the rumours circulating on the political and media circuit are anything to go by all I can say is watch this space.