Mary Flaherty
Question:157 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Education his views on whether segregation of travellers in the education system is racist.
Written Answers. - Travellers' Education.
It is the policy of my Department to seek the maximum possible integration of traveller children into mainstream education and school authorities are encouraged to pursue this objective.
However, where traveller children have special educational needs, it is important that the system be capable of responding in a sympathetic and effective manner. The level of response is determined by the special needs involved and can take the form of either special schools or special classes attached to ordinary schools.
At present, approximately 1,400 traveller children are fully integrated into mainstream education; 1,000 are attending special classes. Some 212 traveller children are attending special schools and a further 1,400 are partly integrated but given additional assistance on a withdrawal basis.