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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Dec 2001

Vol. 546 No. 3

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Michael Creed

Question:

376 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if the Government intends to pursue a constitutional referendum on the rights of disabled persons to education arising from the Sinnott judgment in the Supreme Court. [30401/01]

The rights of people with disabilities to employment and to access to a wide range of services, including education, is an issue to which the Government is strongly committed. This commitment is reflected in the enactment during the term of this Government of the Employment Equality Act, 1998, and the Equal Status Act, 2000. The latter, in particular, asserted the right of people with disabilities to education without fear of discrimination. In addition to these Acts, this Government has also enacted the Education Act, 1998, and the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, both of which provide strong statements of principle in respect of the education of people with disabilities and provide meaningful protections to ensure access to education for such people. To back up those legislative provisions, the Government, during its term, has committed very substantial additional resources to special education.

In so far as there remain areas of law where the rights of children and adults to access to and benefit from education are not sufficiently guaranteed or where structures are insufficient to deliver on those rights, I propose bringing forward a Bill early in the new year to remedy any deficiencies. These detailed statutory provisions will be enacted in consultation with the education partners and with those who have a special interest in the education of people with disabilities. Following debate in this House, the Bill will, in my view, provide an effective guarantee that all children and adults with disabilities will have the same right of access to and benefit from education as their peers who do not have disabilities.

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