Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 May 1993

Vol. 430 No. 3

Written Answers. - Teaching of Down's Syndrome Children.

Richard Bruton

Question:

71 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the resource teachers allocated to schools in Dublin to assist with the integration of children with Down's Syndrome into the schools, can only take on children already in the system, and that children with Down's Syndrome seeking to enter primary school for the first time are being denied the services of the resource teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I take it that the Deputy's concern actually relates to the level of support for Down's Syndrome children being provided by the visiting teacher service.

The role of this service is to provide specialist back-up support to ordinary class teachers in addressing the needs of certain categories of children with disabilities.

While the service in question was originally focused solely on children with visual or hearing impairment, in 1992 an additional eight visiting teachers were added to the service as part of a development aimed at embracing other categories.

The first such additional group to be addressed was Down's Syndrome children, where the initial focus was on those children specifically identified by the Down's Syndrome Association and for whom the association had previously been providing a service out of its own resources.

Two of the additional visiting teacher posts referred to were allocated to the Dublin area to supplement the existing service in that area and to focus particularly on the needs of Down's Syndrome children in Dublin.

It is not the case that Down's Syndrome children newly entering primary schools in the Dublin area are being denied a service.

All valid requests for a visiting teacher service for such children will be responded to as speedily and as effectively as possible, subject only to such limitations as may from time to time arise in relation to the case loads of the visiting teachers concerned.

The general question of support services for children with special educational needs in ordinary schools is currently the subject of review by an expert committee established under my Department. I want to avail of the advice of this committee, which is due to report fairly shortly, before making any further decisions about the support services which might be provided in ordinary schools.