In an article published last Friday headed "Woods criticises parents on court cases", the Minister for Education and Science, Dr Michael Woods TD, was quoted as saying in response to a parliamentary question that it was "entirely unacceptable" for any parent, especially a parent of a child with special needs, "to resort to litigation to secure their child's education".
It is accepted that this report of the Minister's reply is entirely inaccurate and totally misrepresents his position and that of the Government in relation to special needs children and their parents. The correct text of Dr Woods's reply is that it was "entirely unacceptable that any parent, and in particular a parent of a child with special needs, should find it necessary to resort to litigation to secure their child's educational entitlements". It is accepted that the omission of the words, "should find it necessary" gave an entirely different and totally inaccurate meaning to the Minister's actual statement. Any offence caused to the Minister and the parents of children with special needs is regretted.
The report headed "Warning on hospital medicines shortage" in yesterday's editions was based on a script to be delivered by Mr Andrew Barber, president of the Hospital Pharmacists' Association Ireland to the organisation's a.g.m. next weekend. The report said incorrectly that the speech had been delivered and that the meeting had taken place last weekend.