Access to Educational and Other Opportunities for People with Disabilities: Motion

Senator Mary Moran

I move:

That Seanad Éireann-

- notes the need to ensure equality of access to educational and other opportunities for persons with disabilities within the provision of State services generally; and

- calls on the Government to take steps to ensure equality of access to educational and other opportunities for persons with disabilities within the provision of State services generally.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ó Ríordáin. The issue which is the subject of this debate falls within the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality but also those of the Departments Education and Skills, Health, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Environment, Community and Local Government, Children and Youth Affairs, and Social Protection. This is normally the case with matters relating to the umbrella term of "disability". When I first drafted this motion, the emphasis was on mental health but I accept that it has been expanded to cover a much wider issue. That said, the focus of my contribution will be on mental health.

I tabled this motion on the back of discussions and interactions I have had in my community and on a personal basis, with individuals who have suffered from mental health issues and who experienced difficulties when returning to education at second or third level. Every Member is aware of the powerful impact an education can have on an individual, not only in terms of his or her job prospects but also in the context of his or her self-confidence, emotional and physical well-being and social inclusion. At a briefing provided earlier today, the president of the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, Ms Laura Harman, acknowledged that a university or college degree is seen as a minimum requirement for most jobs. I have also heard anecdotal evidence from people who have struggled with mental health issues to the effect that they faced barriers in gaining access to education, particularly at third level. Often these individuals have been obliged to become their own advocates and navigate their own way in what can be a stressful transition to education against the backdrop of ongoing mental health recovery and physical recovery.

It is important that people with mental health difficulties act as their own advocates and that they be empowered to make the best decisions on their recovery and their future. However, we must also ensure that we provide a helping hand. I am aware of numerous organisations in every town and village throughout the country which do just that but I believe we might better serve the group of people to which I refer by providing a contact point to allow them to access all of the necessary information. I refer here to someone, namely, a job coach or career adviser, who will provide them with initial guidance. The services of such individuals could possibly be provided through the Intreo office, where a plan could be mapped and tailored to the needs of the individual in accordance with his or her educational and employment interests. At third level, we could provide education and training to disability and access officers in universities so that they might act as a useful contact point for individuals with mental health problems who are studying at third level. People I met at the briefing to which I referred earlier informed me that many disability and access officers are not specifically qualified to deal with those who have mental health issues.

If a regional contact was available to liaise with a person when he or she is prepared to discuss his or her educational options - someone, such as a doctor, to whom an individual could be referred - they could work through his or her practical and educational needs together and this would go a long way toward providing continuity, which is lacking on the medical side. I have advocated the establishment of such continuity on numerous occasions and I remain of the opinion that the matter needs to be addressed. The regional contact to whom I refer would be in a position to provide follow-up contact with the individual and hopefully provide follow-through support. Ideally, such a liaison would have a medical background in order to best assist from a mental health perspective. This would certainly fall within the community ethos we are striving to achieve, as well as providing a better service overall. We must provide a contact or, even better, a first contact who takes into account the person's overall well-being and provides practical, trusted advice in co-ordination with the service user.

The anecdotal evidence I have received in regard to difficulties in accessing education is corroborated in the figures compiled by mental health organisations, such as Mental Health Reform and Amnesty International, educational groups and Departments. The Association on Higher Education Access and Disability, AHEAD, compiled a report in 2013 highlighting the numbers of students with disabilities who are studying at third level. This report states 1% of students registered on part-time courses have disabilities, including those relating to mental health. I welcome the finding that the 2012-13 academic year saw the highest increase in participation from students with disabilities with over 9,000 such students pursuing courses as compared to the just under 8,000 in the 2011-12 year, a 14.6% increase in the total number. However, it is a matter of concern that AHEAD still has cause to alert readers to the fact that barriers remain for students with disabilities and that this cohort of students is under-represented in our higher education system. AHEAD also acknowledges the limited choices available for students with disabilities - again, including those relating to mental health - and highlights the fact that these students appear to be limited in their choice of courses and are not on an equal footing with their peers when it comes to availing of the opportunities in place. One possible reason identified are the barriers, which may be inadvertent, certain professions present.

In 2011 the national disability survey identified nine different types of disabilities, with 110,000 people identified in Ireland as having emotional, psychological or mental health disabilities. Arguably, each of us will experience or will know someone close to us who will experience a mental health breakdown, illness or issue. Mental Health Reform has calculated that 10% of the population will require mental health services.

We need to breakdown the inadvertent, as well as overt, barriers that are present in accessing education. There is evidence to support the view that this disability group is more likely to leave employment or education than other people with disabilities, this against the backdrop of the growing necessity to have a third level qualification, skill or trade in order to secure gainful and sustaining employment.

Education has become a priority and a necessity in the high-tech environment in which we live. We have placed an emphasis on upskilling, re-skilling and achieving a high qualification and this is linked with employment. An Amnesty International report on employment and mental health identified that a large proportion of mental health problems became evident before the age of 25 years, which has an obvious and long-term impact on an individual's earning power as he or she may not be able to access education or training until later in life.

In 2009 it was estimated that one quarter of illness benefit claimants cited a mental health issue, while in 2008 more than 20% of those in receipt of disability allowance identified themselves as having a mental health problem. We need this group to be embraced back into education and return to work. Unfortunately, the level of employment of people with a mental health disability remains low, with the figure calculated at 27%, in comparison to 63% among the general population. Some 53% of participants who encountered mental health problems had to stop their education owing to their disability according to the national disability survey and this figure is identified as being significantly higher than in the case of any other disability. Having a key contact point could assist in helping to pave the path for a return to education or training and a follow-up with the individual when he or she stops education, in accordance with data protection and privacy laws.

Education is just one answer to the problem and one on which we, as legislators, have the ability to impact. Cost remains a top priority when assessing the further roll-out or set-up of new programmes in all Departments. Value for money should be our top priority. In south Dublin and County Wicklow, as Senators from the area may know, there is an excellent service known as the Dublin and east treatment and early care team, DETECT. Between 2006 and 2011, the service received 795 referrals from a catchment area of 375,000. Of these, 347 met the criteria for a psychotic condition. In 2010 alone DETECT made contact with over 50% of the referrals in 24 hours. It halved the median delay before treatment of 19 months in 2006 to nine months by 2011. One the ambitions identified for the service is to provide treatment in the least restrictive and disruptive environment for the person and the family. From this service, we could see a follow-through for the individual by way of referral to a community contact point who could help to guide them in accessing supports and education or training, if they so chose.

At second level it becomes harder to identify numbers and difficulties, as some children may just be presenting signs of a mental health issue, but it is important that we compile statistics for the numbers of children who miss out on examinations, the junior and leaving certificate examinations, owing to a mental health condition. We need further information on the transition from primary to second level, which has been identified as a point where signs or issues may start or become apparent. A study or research in this area could prevent students from falling through the cracks as early as the transition from primary to secondary school which could, in turn, benefit the individual in terms of his or her future health and other prospects. The earlier the signs are identified and the earlier an individual can be treated, in many cases, the better the level of recovery which can be achieved.

As a society, we have achieved a great deal in a short space of time in reducing the stigma attached to mental health. People suffering from a mental health problem are one of the most stigmatised groups that fall under the disability umbrella, which leads to social exclusion. There is still work to be done and as we progress the younger generations will I hope adopt a more compassionate and educated viewpoint on mental health. This will take time, but we can already see a positive transition.

In order to provide better access to education for a person with a mental health disability, we need training in the community for disability officers or community liaison officers, as well as cross-departmental and broad thinking on the subject and delivery of continuity for service users when accessing information and medical services, with a community approach. There is much more I could say.

Senator Marie Moloney

I second the motion. I welcome the Minister of State whom I congratulate on his recent promotion.

I acknowledge that this and previous Governments have made significant progress to improve and advance the education of citizens affected by disabilities. The primary objectives of the national disability strategy which was launched in 2004 were to provide people with disabilities with the means to take more control of their lives and allow those with disabilities to fulfil their potential and realise their individual aspirations and ambitions. I am pleased implementation of the strategy has remained a key priority for the Government, despite the economic downfall of the past six years and the necessary fiscal adjustments that have followed. I note statistics from AHEAD which show that the number of students with disabilities participating in higher education in 2013 rose to over 9,000 students, the biggest rise in seven years. The rise in the number of students with disabilities taking part in higher education is to be welcomed. I acknowledge that the disability access route to education, DARE, scheme is in place specifically to help and support people with a disability or a specific learning difficulty.

We must not, however, rest on the progress we have made so far. We must strive to provide every person who has a disability with quality education. We must maximise his or her potential and make accessing education as easy and uncomplicated as possible, which, unfortunately, is not always the case. I refer specifically to a number of students in County Kerry who were left high and dry on a number of fronts at the start of this school year. The three students in question were attending St. Ita's special school and, under legislation, must finish their education at this school once they reach the age of 18 years. They then come under the care of the HSE. All of these students have the ability to undertake examinations, which would I hope lead to employment and lessen their dependency on the State. One of them was due to sit her leaving certificate examinations this year, but, owing to illness, was not able to do so. She intends to sit them next year. Another student is due to sit a FETAC Level 3 examination, but, under the rules of the Department of Education and Skills, must leave the special school at the age of 18 years, thereby depriving her of the chance to sit the examination. The board of management and the school are willing to accommodate the students who have returned to finish their second level education. However, the Department refuses to sanction it officially. Where are these girls supposed to finish their education? Their parents tried unsuccessfully to source appropriate facilities for them; however, they have found that the educational services are not properly structured within the HSE to accommodate their needs. Thankfully, St. Ita's special school has agreed to accommodate the girls and give them a chance to finish their education in a structured environment providing them with the support they need.

As a result of what has happened, the students encountered difficulty in accessing school transport. Thankfully, representations to the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, resulted in them being granted concessionary fare paying tickets with conditions. One of the conditions is that the girls must wait on the side of the road for the bus at a given location instead of being picked up at their homes, which had been the case heretofore. This brings its own problems as we now have a health and safety issue. Also, they must now pay for school transport. While the parents have not complained about this, there is a further problem if a parent is unable to afford the cost involved. We must remember that special schools are not available in every locality and some students have to a travel quite a distance to attend such a school. The point I am putting to the Minister of State is that if any one of these three girls did not have a need to attend a special school and was in mainstream education, age would not be an issue. Therefore, I put it to him that, in some cases, those who attend special schools are being discriminated against when it comes to their education. In speaking to a parent of one of the girls I was advised that this sorry saga had left her daughter emotionally upset and needlessly stressed.

There is a need for more joined-up thinking, cross-departmental co-operation and a more flexible education system that can make concessions when necessary. There will be problems from time to time when it comes to the education of children and adults with specific learning difficulties or a disability. These students are more likely to take longer than normal to complete their education and as such there should not be a cap or an age limitation in the case of special schools. Some students will obviously find education more challenging than others and may find the transition to the HSE service suits their needs.

We must move to a society in which all people are treated equally when it comes to education, but, as I have just pointed out, we are not there yet. It is our duty as elected representatives to highlight the shortcomings in legislation and in departmental rooms, which is why we have moved this motion tonight. I formally second it.

Senator Averil Power

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after 'Seanad Éireann–' and substitute the following:

notes that

- inadequate funding and a lack of appropriate supports are negatively impacting on people with disabilities of all ages;

- many children with special needs have no access to appropriate preschool services;

- many children with special needs are being denied access to publicly funded health therapies such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, while in north Dublin children cannot get on a waiting list for such services;

- the cap on the number of special needs assistants and arbitrary cut in resource teaching allocations mean that primary and second level children are not getting the support they have been assessed as needing;

- underfunding of the NEPS has created huge unfairness, with children being denied access to assessments of their educational needs because their parents cannot afford to pay for them privately;

- adults with disabilities still do not have an appropriate range of educational and training options available to them after they finish school and many are being forced into care settings when they should be given an opportunity to develop their individual talents through appropriate education, training or work placements; and

- budget cuts have impacted negatively on the dignity and independence of people with disabilities of all ages;

and calls on the Government

- not to target people with disabilities for cuts in budget 2015, as it has in previous years; and

- to make improvements in educational and other services for people with disabilities a priority for its remaining term of office.

I welcome the fact that we are having this debate again. I appreciate that the Labour Party Senators have tabled a motion on disability as part of their Private Members' business. The reason we are moving an amendment to that motion is that we believe it is too general and that we need to have a more specific one that refers to all the various areas that should be prioritised by the Government in the approach to the budget, from preschool education to adult education and training.

In the last debate before the general election, both the Taoiseach and the then Tánaiste were asked what the key issue was. The then Tánaiste, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, said it was looking after people with disabilities, while the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, stated he agreed and felt an absolute priority should be the 300,000 people who suffer from mental illness every year. Unfortunately, the reality over the past three years has been different. There have been cuts to disability services pretty much at all levels across the system.

Many children with special needs still have no access to preschool services. We were all in agreement in previous debates in the House on early intervention, particularly for children from disadvantaged areas and those with special needs so they could get appropriate intervention as early as possible and not end up really far behind when starting school at the age of five or six. When they fall behind, they need much more intensive education. If they have not availed of speech and language services, or other services, their development is already curtailed. This is an area that really needs to be prioritised.

There are many children with special needs who are not getting any preschool service at all. They are finding it impossible to get accepted by a service. Community crèches are trying to welcome everybody and are accepting children with special needs, but they find they are not getting the support they need. They do not have the staff required to give the children an appropriate education. This is a difficulty and we need to make sure the appropriate supports are in place. Children with special needs have the same entitlement as everybody else. There is a legal entitlement established in the EPSEN Act for school-aged children. They have a legal entitlement to a school place and to supports, but this mandate does not apply to early childhood care and educational provision. This really needs to be prioritised.

Another big issue, on which my colleague Senator Darragh O'Brien will speak more, is that children with special needs are being denied access to publicly funded health therapies, such as speech therapy and occupational therapy. In my area, north Dublin, it has not been possible to get on a waiting list for a service since November 2012. The Minister of State will be familiar with this. That somebody who needs the services cannot even get on a waiting list is a really shocking indictment of the Government's priorities in recent years. This really needs to be addressed. In other parts of the country, the service is quite good. We debated this quite recently. I tabled a motion at a meeting of the Oireachtas education committee before the summer. I heard that in other parts of the country, including Cork, services are very good, but the reality is that in my area parents are writing to me and ringing me in tears because their children cannot even be put on a list for a service. They see the impact this is having on their child and cannot do anything about it. This is really shocking.

At school level, the cap on special needs assistants and the arbitrary cut affecting resource teaching mean that primary and second level students are not getting the support they have been assessed as needing. They are assessed as needing a certain number of resource teaching hours but told that they can get only 85% of the allocation because of a financial cap. This has been very unfair.

Some years ago, we rightly adopted a principle of including special needs children in mainstream schools, where appropriate. Some parents still decide their children are better off in a special school if their needs are complex, but we wanted to have a system in which every child would be entitled to go to a mainstream school, and we said that, as part of a decent society, we would put the supports in place to assist them. The reality, however, for the schools is that it is very frustrating for the teachers when the children who present do not receive the supports that they need.

There is a gap in health therapy services. The Minister of State will be aware that some schools in his constituency, which is to be Dublin Bay North, have opened special classes and were given educational intervention resources because they were entitled to a certain number of educational staff, but they cannot obtain any speech and language services for the children. There have been cuts affecting Beechpark services and others. This means the affected teachers are pulling their hair out and are upset that there are children in their schools for whom they cannot really provide a proper service.

There has been much competition between the two Government parties over recent weeks as they argue over which tax cuts they prefer. The priority in the next budget should be to provide, based on whatever resources are available, a decent level of public services, particularly to protect those who are most vulnerable. The State should be protecting people with disabilities and those from disadvantaged areas. It should be undoing some of the more cruel cuts of the past few years.

I could speak at length about NEPS and all the other issues. I agree with some of the comments made by Senator Moloney on appropriate places for adults in training and education. Many of us were at the briefing organised last year on adults with intellectual disabilities. Unlike others, who are offered a suite of different choices, those with intellectual disabilities are forced into a care setting where somebody just looks at them all day while they are sitting around. They are capable of doing so much; they want to be working and want to be in training. They need to have better options. That is why we are proposing a more detailed motion, which I urge Senators to support.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin)

This evening's debate provides an opportunity for me to state clearly that the Government is committed to ensuring equality of access to educational and other opportunities for persons with disabilities and special educational needs.

As Minister of State with special responsibility for new communities, culture and equality, I am particularly pleased to speak to this motion on what is a cross-departmental issue affecting a number of Departments, including mine and those responsible for health, education, children and youth affairs. While I have no direct role in issues relating to educational provision and the organisation of the education system, I do have an oversight role in respect of the national disability strategy, which is a whole-of-government approach to advancing the social inclusion of all people with disabilities. The Government remains fully committed to the full implementation of this strategy, which brings together the community and voluntary sectors to work with statutory agencies and Departments to improve the lives of people with disabilities. In the area of education, the Government has demonstrated that commitment with action.

It is important to note that some €1.3 billion will be spent in support of children with special educational needs this year, which is an increase in expenditure of 43% over the 2008 figure of €904 million. If I recall correctly, the figure for 2004 was some €450 million. Therefore, there has been quite an increase since then.

The provision being made for special educational needs this year is in line with expenditure in recent years and shows that despite the current economic difficulties, funding for special education has not been cut. The current level of investment represents approximately 15% of the education budget of €8.3 billion of the Department of Education and Skills.

The Government has been resolutely committed to protecting the level of investment being made to support children with special educational needs at a time when there has been a requirement to make expenditure reductions across a range of areas. It is an area of expenditure which has been prioritised above most other areas by the Government, despite the enormous pressures on all areas of public expenditure.

The level of resources devoted to supporting children with special educational needs has been protected, and in some areas in 2014 it has been increased to take into account increased demand and demographic growth.

This evening's debate also provides me with an opportunity to reassure all parents of children with disabilities and special educational needs that their children will continue to receive the supports necessary to ensure they can access education appropriate to their needs and abilities. The Department of Education and Skills provides for a continuum of support to ensure that all children with special needs can access education, whether in a mainstream class with additional supports, in a special class attached to a mainstream school, or, for a child who may require specialist interventions, as a special school placement.

On the issue of special needs assistants or SNAs, in December 2013 the Government announced that it was increasing the number of SNAs available for allocation to schools to reflect both demographic growth and increased demand for SNA support. The provision has been increased by 390 posts. At the end of the 2013-14 school year 10,656 SNA posts had been allocated to schools, which is a greater number of posts than at any previous time. For example, at the end of the 2011-12 school year there were 10,487 SNAs, while at the end of the 2010-11 school year there were 10,320 SNAs. So far in this school year, 10,900 SNAs have been allocated to schools. Again, this is the highest level of SNA allocation that we have ever had. These extra posts confirm the Government's policy of ensuring that every child who needs SNA support will receive access to such support. I am aware that references are sometimes made to cuts to SNAs both in this House and in the media. I am therefore grateful for this opportunity to put on the record of this House that not only has there not been a reduction in the number of SNA posts provided to schools, but the Government has substantially increased the number of SNA posts available. Some schools may have received a reduced SNA allocation because a pupil with special needs has left the school or because pupils have declining care needs as they grow older. This should not be represented as a cut. Additionally, where such posts are freed up they are then allocated to other schools that have enrolled new pupils with special educational care needs. Parents who may have been frightened by reports of cuts need have no fears that their children will be denied access to an SNA. The cap of 10,575 posts which was introduced by the previous Government in 2010 has been increased to 10,965 SNA posts by this Government.

The Department of Education and Skills recently issued a new circular to schools about the SNA scheme in order to provide clarity on the role of SNAs in schools in accordance with the recommendation contained in recently received National Council for Special Education policy advice and the recommendations contained in the Department's value for money and policy review of the SNA scheme. The NCSE is also developing an information booklet for parents on the SNA scheme, which is expected to be completed and published shortly and which will provide clear guidance and information for parents on the role and purpose of the scheme. As a Deputy in the House I have been involved in compiling a report on the future role of the SNA in Irish education. Senator Mary Moran has kindly agreed to continue that research and to present it to the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection in due course.

The Government has also increased the overall number of resource teaching posts available to schools in recent years. Some 480 additional resource teaching posts were provided for the 2012-13 school year and an additional 480 posts have been made available for 2014-15 in order to meet growing demand from schools for low-incidence special educational needs support. This brings the number of resource and learning support teachers in mainstream schools to more than 11,000 at the moment, which is more than at any time previously. This can be compared with 10,305 posts for the 2012-13 school year and 9,950 posts for the 2011-12 year. No reduction was made to the amount of resource teaching time allocated to schools per pupil in the 2013-14 school year, and no reduction is being made for the 2014-15 school year. There are now more additional resource and learning support teachers in our schools than at any time previously.

The general allocation model, which allocates more than 4,200 learning support and resource teachers to all primary schools, is now to be updated annually based on the number of mainstream teaching posts in schools in the previous year, and will therefore reflect growth in school size. As the number of pupils being assessed as having low-incidence or more severe levels of disability has also been rising, this frees up some resources from schools' general allocations to provide to other children who have learning support needs in schools.

In addition to SNA and teaching resources which are provided to schools to support children with special needs, a range of other supports are made available to schools to facilitate access to education for pupils with disabilities. These include modified school buildings, enhanced capitation payments for special schools and special classes, a home tuition scheme, specialist transport arrangements and assistive technology support. In addition, more than 1,100 teaching posts in special schools will continue to be provided for in the coming school year. The National Council for Special Education also opened 132 new special classes for September of this year, which means that there are now more than 860 special classes.

On the issue of policy advice, Members of this House will be aware that the NCSE recently provided the Department of Education and Skills with a comprehensive report on supporting students with special educational needs in schools. In its report the NCSE acknowledged the State's significant investment in providing supports for students with special educational needs over recent decades, which has transformed the ability of schools to educate such pupils. This report makes clear that there are many aspects of the current system that parents and schools are happy with. However, the report also makes it clear that there are disadvantages to the current system, which can create an inequitable distribution of resource teaching hours whereby each school receives the same general allocation based on school size, regardless of the needs of the school's pupil population. This is an important point. It also recommended that supports be allocated to schools to support pupils on the basis of their needs and without the necessity for a diagnosis of a particular disability in order to gain access to an educational resource.

A substantial component of the current model is based on the availability of a diagnosis of special educational need, but, as has been noted by some Members of this House, access to professionals who can make this diagnosis is not always readily available to all students. Some families can afford to pay for private assessments and, where eligible, these students can immediately access additional teaching resources. The allocation of additional State educational resources should not depend on a parent's ability to pay for professional assessments or proximity to HSE supports.

Following on from the publication of the NCSE report, the Minister for Education and Skills asked the NCSE to develop proposals for a new allocation model, and in June of this year the NCSE published its report, A Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for Students with Special Educational Needs. This report recommends that the Department and the NCSE develop a new way to allocate additional teaching resources to schools, taking into account the educational profile of each school and without the need for students to get assessments in order to receive resources.

The NCSE has also advised that under the present system there is a risk that children are being diagnosed as having a special educational need for resource allocation purposes rather than for health reasons. The report also notes that there is a spectrum of ability and disability within every category of special educational need. The current system allocates the same level of support for students within certain categories of special educational needs even though one student may have a greater need for support than another with the same disability. A diagnosis of a disability in itself does not necessarily inform the level of need for additional teaching support. A significant portion of additional learning support resources is also allocated to schools on the basis of enrolment, in post-primary schools, or the number of class teachers, in primary schools, and is not linked to the level of need for such support in schools.

The report recommended that schools be given an allocation to provide pupils with such resources based on their individual needs, taking into account the overall profiled need of each school. The report recommended that sufficient time be allowed to develop the new allocation model and for further consultation to take place with the education stakeholders before any proposed new model is implemented in schools. This process is necessary to build confidence that the new system will be equitable, transparent and efficient in delivering resources to students with special educational needs.

The Department of Education and Skills is currently collecting school-based data which could support the development of a proposed new allocation model. It has also invited education partners and stakeholders to make written submissions in relation to the NCSE proposals for a new allocation model, following which consultations will take place with the partners. The Department of Education and Skills will continue to provide the resources that can ensure that all children with special educational needs avail of education. At the same time, it will also plan to ensure that existing levels of service provision can be maintained. Finally, the Department of Education and Skills will consider how to make improvements to the system and how to make accessing the system easier for parents and children who require supports in schools.

On preschool provision, the Government remains committed to supporting the participation of children with additional needs in preschool services. A number of Departments and their agencies are contributing to this area, including the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Skills, and the HSE.

A clear indication of the Government's determination to further strengthen provision in this area is the inclusion of a specific commitment in Better Outcomes: Brighter Futures, the new integrated policy framework for children and young people to develop a plan for the inclusion of children with a disability in mainstream preschool and early years settings. An interdepartmental team of senior officials is finalising a report on how best to make progress in this area. The team, consisting of representatives from the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs, Health and Education and Skills, as well as the HSE, is due to report shortly on this issue to the cross-sectoral team on children's disability issues. The report will inform the development of policy into the future and ensure we will have a co-ordinated and consistent approach across government to supporting the participation of children with additional needs in early years settings. Progress is also being made in ensuring early years practitioners have the appropriate knowledge, skills and disposition to support children with additional needs within preschool settings. This has been facilitated through such measures as the learner fund which is being supported by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to support early years practitioners in meeting new minimum qualification requirements for the free preschool year.

Other initiatives include the development of programmes such as the special purpose award to include children with additional needs which is offered by Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. The Department of Education and Skills recently received funding through the dormant accounts fund to support the further expansion of education and training opportunities in special needs education for early years practitioners. The Department has also initiated a review of education and training programmes leading to qualifications in early years care and education. A major focus of the review will be the extent to which graduates of such programmes have been adequately prepared to work in early years settings and to meet the many challenges that arise in such settings, including catering for children with additional needs.

On psychological services, I can advise the House that all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments, either directly through the Department's National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, or, in cases where a NEPS psychologist is not available, through a panel of private practitioners maintained under the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, which is administered by the NEPS. In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, the NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution-focused consultative approach to maximise positive outcomes for these pupils. The NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. In a period of severe financial strictures the numbers of educational psychologists employed with the NEPS service has grown. For example, the number of whole-time equivalent posts increased from 158 at the beginning of 2011 to the current level of 169. It is envisaged that the number of educational psychologists will be further increased to 173 in the current academic year.

The Government is committed, within available resources, to the provision and development of health related therapy services for children with special needs. Health related therapy supports such as speech and language and occupational therapies are accessed through the Health Service Executive's primary care services and its disability services. The HSE has introduced a number of initiatives to ensure these therapy services are delivered in as equitable a manner as possible and on the basis of prioritised need. The measures include therapists increasing clinic-based work instead of domiciliary work and, where possible, providing family centred interventions in a group, as opposed to a one-to-one, setting. In addition, structures, training and supports are being provided for parents and carers in order that they can work to help to improve the child's speech and language skills.

The HSE's national service plan 2013 provided for additional funding of €20 million to strengthen primary care services. It comprises more than €18.5 million for recruitment to fill over 260 primary care team posts and more than €1.4 million to support community intervention team development. The posts include 52 whole-time equivalent speech and language therapists, 51 of which have been filled. Recruitment to fill the remaining post is under way.

With regard to disability services for children, the HSE has recognised the need to standardise the way in which these services are delivered. Therapy services for children are being reconfigured into geographically-based multidisciplinary teams as part of the HSE's progressing disability services for children and young people 0-18 years programme. The objective of the programme is to achieve a national, unified approach to delivering disability health services in order that there is a clear pathway to services for all children, regardless of where they live, what school they attend or the nature of their disability. There is a national structure to underpin this change management programme, with national, regional and local implementation groups in place. All elements of the implementation structure include multi-stakeholder involvement, including representatives from the Department of Education and Skills and its relevant service strands, including the National Educational Psychology Service and the National Council for Special Education. An additional €4 million has been specifically allocated in 2014 to drive implementation of the programme. This equates to approximately 80 therapy posts. As the programme is rolled out, it will ensure the resources available are used to best effect in order to provide health supports and ongoing therapy for children in line with their prioritised needs. In particular, over time, it will mean that all children, regardless of where they receive their education services, will have equitable access to services based on their needs.

On adult education provision, it should be noted that educational provision continues to be made for adults with disabilities or special educational needs after they leave school. Adults with disabilities have a range of options available to them in the higher and further education sectors. Some students choose to participate in educational programmes through further adult educational programmes or in adult settings. While the Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults with special educational needs over 18 years, the Department of Education and Skills often allocates funding towards an educational component of such provision. This is generally transacted through the tuition hours scheme provided by education and training boards for local service providers, while funding is also provided for the national learning network for this purpose. Young adults with disabilities are eligible to access SOLAS funded mainstream services provided by the education and training boards. The ETB contract with 16 specialist training providers at 49 locations countrywide is to deliver training courses to people with disabilities who require more intensive support than would be available through non-specialist training provision. A range of specialist courses are available at two levels of training, introductory skills training and specific skills training, and include in-centre, employer-based and blended learning approaches to accommodate learners' training needs. These training courses lead to awards at levels 3 to 5 in the national framework of qualifications. Entry to specialist training is open to all persons with disabilities over 16 years of age.

Programme duration may typically be up to 18 or 24 months, depending on programme type. Specialist training offers additional supports to learners which include individualised training and progression plans, literacy and numeracy support, longer training duration, adapted equipment, transport arrangements, enhanced programme content and an enhanced trainer-learner ratio. For students attending further and higher education institutions, funding to further and higher education institutions for the provision of services and supports for full-time students with disabilities is provided through the fund for students with disabilities, FSD. The Disability Access Route to Education, DARE, is a college and university admissions scheme which offers places at reduced points to school-leavers with disabilities. Eighteen higher education institutions are participating in the scheme. Core funding for access programmes is allocated each year as part of the overall budget of each designated higher education institution.

This funding supports the provision of dedicated staff, services and supports for students with disabilities as well as for mature students and school leavers from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Every further and higher education institution has at least one member of staff with responsibility for liaising with students with disabilities, as required by the Disability Act 2005. In addition, many institutions have a dedicated disability support service with trained disability officers, learning support officers and other specialist staff. The national plan for equity of access to higher education, 2014-2016 Action Plan - Towards the Next National Access Plan, is currently being finalised by the national access office for the Department. The new plan will include actions and targets that ensure there is continued support for people with disabilities in accessing and participating in higher education.

I wish to advise that the overall level of investment being provided annually will ensure that provision can continue to be made for the educational requirements of children and young adults with special educational needs. The combination of investment and supports provided will ensure that children with special educational needs can continue to be wholly included within our education system.

The Government wishes to ensure that existing supports for children with special educational needs are maintained while also considering how we can improve our current support systems.

While I am not in a position to anticipate any future budgetary decisions or considerations, I can, however, assure the House that the Government will continue to do everything possible to protect the provision of services for children and adults with disabilities or special educational needs and, where possible, to bring about improvements to services.

Acting Chairman (Senator Hildegarde Naughton)

The next speaker is Senator Katherine Zappone.

Senator Martin Conway

Senator Darragh O'Brien has to second the amendment.

Acting Chairman (Senator Hildegarde Naughton)

The Minister of State wanted to speak earlier. Senator O'Brien does not have to second the amendment now.

Senator Katherine Zappone

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, and thank him for his comprehensive statement on the commitment of the Government and the extraordinary work of all the policymakers, civil servants and providers of services for people with disabilities. I commend Senator Moran on her introduction of this motion. It is an important debate. I welcome Mr. John Dolan, chief executive officer of the Disability Federation of Ireland, and our other guests in the Visitors' Gallery.

This motion tabled by the Labour Party Senators is very welcome because it centres on what is a defining issue of whether we are living in a progressive State. The context to the motion and its two amendments is that Ireland is still approaching ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We must think of all that we are doing in that context. We need to have this debate in order to find ways to ensure that students with disabilities and those with additional needs due to various impairments, some of which are exacerbated by the students' having being raised in poor conditions, are enabled in meeting their individual educational and other targets and flourishing as a result. Imagine children with disabilities flourishing in our classrooms. I try to consistently keep that picture in mind and I am always asking the question: "What kind of changes would need to be brought about to make that picture a reality?" We have had budget choices in the past. Research by Inclusion Ireland shows that the resources available for children with disabilities have not increased in line with the increase in the number of children with disabilities. Hence, children with disabilities have less access to support services which would allow them to remain in mainstream education, even with the increase in resources. The increase in the number of children with disabilities has an impact on individual children. In particular, resource teaching hours available to individual children, according to the report, have been cut by 15%. Overall, individual resources for children with disabilities have been reduced, even though a lot of the headline figures that the Minister spoke about have increased. The level of supports and services needs to be increased and we must take account of this as we calculate how to reform our tax policies, especially as the economy is now slowly recovering.

The issue is not simply increasing resources, dealing with cuts or returning to where we were before the bust, as encompassed by the motion and the amendments. We need to find new models to deliver better services. We need to use research and new innovations more efficiently in support of our legislative process in making decisions. Only by doing so will we develop new evidence-based policies and laws that will allow us to deliver services more effectively to those children and young people with disabilities and those with additional needs due to disadvantage.

I wish to bring two policy proposals to the debate. First, I want to report on the result of an innovative early-intervention speech and language therapy service that was implemented by the Childhood Development Initiative in Tallaght west. This is very relevant to the implementation of the strategy Better Outcomes: Brighter Futures, to which the Minister referred in his speech. We know that thousands of young children are still waiting for years to access speech and language therapy. These early years are critical, as delays diminish the chance that these young children will catch up with their peers and flourish academically. The ability to communicate is so central to a child's development and his or her ability to fully participate in education. The model that was developed by the Childhood Development Initiative was designed to identify and assess children at a young age through raised awareness among early years practitioners, teachers and parents, and to ensure that children receive therapy where needed as quickly as possible. An independent review of the programme found that the early intervention service provided therapeutic support to children whose needs would not have been identified and who would not have received support through any other existing service due to their young age. The benefits of that early intervention are well documented. It is a programme that is relatively low-cost and that could be replicated in other areas by creating speech and language therapy services alongside the establishment of primary care teams or existing speech and language therapy services. It is not just about the money; it is about what works.

I wish to raise the possibility of an extended school year for children with disabilities and children with additional needs. Students who have additional educational needs arising from their disability or other impairment often fail to meet their expected level of attainment during the school year. If that is not addressed, such children fall further behind and the probability that they will not become economically active or independent later in life increases. In several education systems around the world, the right to an extended school year during the summer months is in place to assist these students in narrowing the gap. In Ireland, there are July provisions, of which I am sure the Minister is aware, that provide special education for children with autism and those with severe and profound general learning difficulties during the month of July. Eligibility for extended year provision is impairment- or diagnosis-specific. Given the educational disadvantage that may arise from a variety of impairments, I believe we should look at this limitation and consider extending eligibility. I am proposing that the option of extending the limited right to an extended school year be examined and debated in this House as a result of this motion.

Acting Chairman (Senator Hildegarde Naughton)

I wish to apologise to Senator Darragh O'Brien, who should have been allowed to second the amendment. An error was made in regard to the order of speakers.

Senator Darragh O'Brien

That is no problem. I second the amendment.

I thank my Labour Party colleagues for tabling the motion on access to educational and other opportunities for people with disabilities to allow for discussion on the issue. While my colleague Senator Averil Power may have mentioned that in our view it was a little bit general, it is still very important that it be discussed.

What really disappoints me is the response delivered by the Minister of State. I was hoping for better from newly appointed Ministers such as Deputy Ó Ríordáin. While this is not his direct responsibility, what really disappointed me this evening is that the Minister of State read a script, much of which was patently not true and a lot of which was fantasy. When I look at the provision of therapy in the Minister of State's constituency of Dublin Bay North, I can see that the waiting list for services has been closed since November 2012. In my area, Dublin North, the waiting list for early intervention for speech and language therapy has been closed since June 2012. The Minister of State delivered a script that stated: "The Executive has introduced a number of initiatives to ensure that these therapy services are delivered in as equitable a manner as possible and on the basis of prioritised need." I would love the newly appointed Ministers and Ministers of State to meet a few people.

I would love if any Minister read what the Minister of State has read to us this evening to parents of kids with special needs who cannot access the services. I do not expect the Minister to have a magic wand. Successive Governments have not always done things right.

Let us look at some of the figures that the Minister of State trotted out here on increasing services. We know, in many areas, they have been cut and have not kept up to speed with the growth in population. We know that, so what was the point in having someone write this script? What was the point in him coming here and reading it out? I thought a lot more of him in that regard. I thought that he would be more independent minded.

His colleagues, the two Labour Senators who spoke, asked for certain things to be prioritised. Not once, in his answer, did he say what he would do differently. His colleagues were saying: "Look, we have a problem." I am not blaming him for it but we do have a problem. What can be done to even prioritise these areas in the next 12 months? The Government cannot fix it all. How can we reduce the waiting lists in certain areas, say in the Dublin region for argument's sake, where we have no early intervention teams at all? This crap the HSE has trotted out on the provision of speech and language therapy is not true.

I know Deputy Ó Ríordáin does not have direct responsibility in this area but he is a Minister of State. I would love him to come in here and say: "Right, I am going to take these points back. I am going to advocate before the budget where we are going to seek additional funding in this place to try to alleviate the problem in this area." These kids cannot speak and are not going to reach their full potential unless they are given early intervention. I have used this one area as an example. I hope we will all learn from this over time - and I am not being personal or talking about the Minister of State because this happens all the time - but one could have brought anyone in to read the script.

Most of us know the situation that prevails. The Minister of State can talk to his colleagues here and the people who are involved in the sector who have special needs kids and young adults who, after leaving secondary school, try to access services but cannot. All of us know it and he will find out when he goes to his own clinic and offices. I suggest he gives his script to the people who come to him, as constituents, who have problems accessing services for children and young adults in education. I am sure they will tell him that it is rubbish.

Advances have been made over the years, through successive Governments, but it is not perfect and we know it is not perfect. The script the Minister of State read makes it seem there is no problem and allocations are being made. It contains some great stuff such as: "There is a national structure to underpin this change management programme with national, regional and local implementation groups in place." What the hell is that? We know there is problem in this area which needs €10 million funding and needs to be resourced properly. Let us do so and stop this nonsense. The Minister of State's colleagues who tabled the motion deserve better. I refer to his two colleagues, in particular, on the Government side who have spoken and speak about these issues regularly. I have heard the Minister of State speak about these issues very passionately so I know he does not believe what was in the script. Why come in here and read it out? Just set it aside and say: "Yes, we have problems but we have made advances in certain areas."

I know a young adult at the moment who is deaf, is in a wheelchair and has come through the system but cannot access any services right now. I am due to meet his mother again on Friday. I have written to the Minister for Health, the previous Minister for Health, the Minister for Education and Skills and all the multi-agencies.

I agree with one aspect mentioned at the very beginning of the speech that the issue is multi-departmental but that is the problem. The issue sits in all these different Departments and nothing gets done when there is a real problem with a young adult that needs to be addressed. I am not being personally critical of the Minister of State. For Christ's sake, will he tell his colleagues, particularly the newer people, that this type of stuff is not what I expect from him? It is not what I expect from someone who knows what is happening on the ground. Let him stop coming in here and reading what the HSE wants him to say. Let us recognise where there are problems and work together to fix them. I am going to give what he read out to the lady I will meet on Friday at 2.30 p.m. with her son Gavin and ask her what she thinks of it. I will highlight what the Government is saying about the services that are available. The 15,000 children who are waiting over a year for speech and language therapy-----

Acting Chairman (Senator Hildegarde Naughton)

Senator Darragh O'Brien's time is up and I did give him a little extra time.

Senator Darragh O'Brien

-----and initial assessments can tell anyone that it is rubbish.

Senator Martin Conway

I understand Senator Darragh O'Brien's frustrations, to be quite frank. Today there are people outside the gate protesting because there is still no recognition of Irish sign language. That is something I would consider inhumane at this stage. At the end of the day people who are deaf are probably the most marginalised and isolated group in Irish society and it is unacceptable. That is just one example. We have had debate after debate in this House yet nothing has happened.

I was contacted after I did a national radio interview last July by the mother of a five-year old who was identified by a visiting nurse to the school as having a difficulty with one eye. That child is on a waiting list and has been told there is a waiting time of 18 months before a proper eye examination will take place. We all know how sensitive, important and time sensitive it is to have eyes properly checked because the results will be permanent. I raised the matter here last July. I hate to say it but the child is still awaiting an examination. How can a Government stand over that situation? It cannot, simple as that.

I commend the Labour Senators, the ladies seated beside me, on tabling the motion. The more often the issue is debated in the House, the better the chance of success. If we keep beating the drum there might be some response.

I do not think the problem in education in terms of disability is resources. I think there are enough resources being spent in terms of supporting people with disabilities in mainstream schools, etc. throughout the country. The problem is that the resources are not calibrated properly. There are young people who get SNA hours who do not need them. Let me give, as an example, a child who starts off in primary school but needs significant SNA interventions, resource hours, etc. If the system is working correctly, and if the resource hours that are being provided are supposed to achieve their target, the child will improve and be weaned off resource hours. Trying to tell a parent that the hours will be reduced due to his or her child improving is difficult because they do not want to hear it. There must be a multi-agency response but there must also be a partnership between parents, NGOs and educators. If a child is progressing there must be a realisation that in order to give him or her independence there must be a reduction in hours, where appropriate.

We want people with disabilities in this country to leave our education system as independent citizens. We want them to have the necessary supports that will allow them compete on a level playing pitch such as physical structures, personal assistants, technological interventions and visiting teachers. We want to make sure the necessary infrastructure exists. Absolutely, that needs to be done. The last thing we should do is create a false crutch for people because it would prevent them from becoming independent.

I welcome the debate on special education and providing supports. I believe there is adequate investment at the moment. We will take more investment if it is available which can be properly driven and focused. That is what I would like to see.

When young people with disabilities enter university the problem is many of them drop out not because of SNAs or resource hours but because the important infrastructure is not in place. For example, they do not get books in braille, the technology is not in place, it takes too long for them to get audio tapes or there are no sign language interpreters when they are needed at lectures. As a result these people give up the ghost and fall out of education. For those who stick with their courses and graduate with a degree the real challenge starts and that is getting a job.

We have seen that 70% or 80% of people with disabilities can find it difficult to get a job. The greatest equaliser of all is getting a job. We have a good deal of work to do in this area and it is not all about resources; it is about education and making people within business and the private sector aware that a small number of adjustments in some instances, for example, giving a person a comfortable chair at work or ensuring that a person has an appropriate screen to do his work can make the difference. As I have mentioned already, it is a question of putting the infrastructure in place. If these measures were undertaken then people with disabilities could be, would be and, in many cases, have proven to be more productive than their able-bodied counterparts. All we need is a level playing pitch and our responsibility is to create that level playing pitch.

I welcome this worthwhile debate. While I understand the frustration with some elements of the speech of the Minister of State, I realise it is a comprehensive speech and that it is not his fault because the speech was prepared for him. He is relatively new in the Ministry and this is not his direct area of responsibility. I acknowledge the fact that the Minister of State has come to the House tonight to take the debate.

Senator Rónán Mullen

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. This Private Members' motion is laudable in its aims but, unfortunately, I am not at all convinced that we will see any action whatsoever from the Government on foot of it. As I mentioned on the Order of Business earlier today, in May 2013 as part of a Private Members' motion that I brought to the House I sought a commitment from the then Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, that he would implement the National Council for Special Education report findings on the issue of discrimination. Unfortunately, little has happened since that debate to improve the situation.

In July of this year we had the sorry spectacle of the Department of Education and Skills fighting two families in the High Court. The families were seeking, among other things, orders overturning the inflexible policy of the Department in giving additional support hours to children with Down's syndrome. It took the intervention of the President of the High Court, Mr. Justice Kearns, to compel the Department to see sense by strongly suggesting to the Department that it settle the matter by granting additional support to the children. The judge directed the Minister to allocate four hours and 15 minutes additional resource hours weekly to the children's school. The Department's principal concern, as articulated by the senior counsel in the case, was not to concede any of the claims made by the parents to avoid an avalanche of similar cases. That was what was said. While at least it has the merit of transparency it has little else to recommend it as an approach. It is not an enlightened way to go about the accommodation of the needs of a vulnerable group of disabled persons. All this follows a pattern of shabby treatment of parents of children with Down's syndrome. We saw the fiasco during the summer whereby parents were asked to prove if their children still had Down's syndrome to keep their medical cards.

I have previously spoken about the National Council for Special Education report published in 2013. The report highlighted soft barriers which certain children with disabilities face when enrolling. These barriers contribute to a perceived lack of welcome for disabled children. Needless to say, schools are entitled to put in place their admission criteria. However, barriers discriminating against children on disability grounds are unjustifiable. In last year's debate I asked the Minister to introduce a robust framework to prevent such discrimination. I note that the education (admission to schools) Bill 2013 is on the Government's priority list and we will have a full debate on that legislation when it comes before the House. Nevertheless I welcome the Bill in so far as it may tackle unjustifiable enrolment barriers. I will be working to ensure that the Bill encompasses the recommendations in the NCSE report. In particular, I note that it was strongly recommended in the report that the Department introduce an enrolment framework for schools to ensure every child with special education needs is protected from school enrolment practices or policies with overt or covert barriers that block his or her access to enrolment in the school; that every child with special education needs may enrol in the nearest school that is or can be resourced by the NCSE to meet his or her needs; that a school must enrol a student with special education needs, if so directed by the special educational needs organiser, on the basis that the school will be provided with resources in line with national policy; and that a school must establish a special class if so requested by a SENO.

However, the Bill is for the future. At present it is disheartening that again this year I have spoken to parents who have faced the same lack of welcome when enrolling their children with disabilities in schools. As I said last year, this is chiefly due to the hoops that parents and schools must jump through to gain resources, in particular for those children with Down's syndrome. Down Syndrome Ireland has related to me that parents dread the uncertainty associated over resource allocation each school year.

The motion calls on the Government to take steps to ensure equality of access to education and other opportunities for persons with disabilities. It may be news to some Members that there is legislation languishing on Committee Stage which, if enacted, would secure appropriate resources for children with Down's syndrome. Deputy Finian McGrath's Down's Syndrome (Equality of Access) Bill would provide for a regime whereby Down's syndrome would be regarded as a low-incidence disorder and therefore the inclusion of children with Down's syndrome under that categorisation would secure for them the extra teaching resources that they need. Deputy McGrath said it was unfortunate that it had been left to him to bring this legislation forward and I wholeheartedly agree with him.

The real solution must come from the Minister for Education and Skills. At the stroke of a pen she could allay the fears of parents by allocating full resources to children with Down's syndrome. This is exactly what I called for last year. Unfortunately at the time my motion was defeated by Government Senators, including Members tabling this motion. I assume they share my disappointment that so little has been done in this area since that debate. Unless the Government commits to making real and immediate changes for disabled people this motion and the associated debate will have been an exercise in futility.

Senator Ivana Bacik

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for coming in to take this motion, which was put forward on behalf of the Labour Party Senators. I commend my colleagues, Senators Moran and Moloney, on putting forward this motion and on their long commitment to the issue of equality of access for people with disabilities to educational and other services. It is deliberately a broadly-framed motion. It is very much interdepartmental in its nature and cuts across many different Departments and several different themes. However, the overarching theme is one of equal access for persons with disabilities to educational and other public services. We have sought to ensure that it was broadly worded and rather open ended to ensure that all of us who speak on the motion would be able to put forward our ideas and bring forward our expertise, experience or observations on the issue.

As others have said, the Seanad has a proud record of debate on this issue, of putting forward the rights of persons with disabilities and of holding the Government to account in ensuring that it remains a Government priority to ensure a commitment to provide equality of access to persons with disabilities.

I listened with great interest to Senator Zappone's speech. She put forward some innovative ideas and effective ways in which we could look to improve the position of pupils with disabilities within the educational system. I have in mind in particular her comments about the longer school year. This was a point of interest and something certainly worth examining. Senator Mary Moran has a particular expertise on this issue as an educator and as someone who has been a long-term activist on disability rights. I commend the work of the Minister of State and his commitment to equality in education generally not only in his current role but also in his previous work as a teacher.

Some specific issues arise from the motion. These were touched on in the comprehensive speech from the Minister of State. He put forward various measures that have been taken by the Government. The Minister of State rightly pointed out the need to confound the myth that there have been cuts in the allocation of special needs assistants and he gave us the figures on increased numbers of SNAs in place. That is important.

As a University Senator I wish to highlight the matter of access to third level education for persons with disabilities. I urge the Government to give continued support to the Disability Access Route to Education, DARE, programme, a third level admission scheme offering places at reduced points to school-leavers with disabilities. I am pleased the Minister of State referred to the matter in his speech. We operate the programme within Trinity College, one of the 18 institutions operating the scheme and it operates successfully there. The programme is resource intensive. The Minister of State pointed out that higher education institutions must have disability officers. The disability officer in Trinity College plays an important part in ensuring adequate supports are in place for students with disabilities who are going through the educational system. It is most important that disability officers build up personal relationships with academic and administrative staff to smooth pathways, in particular for people with physical disabilities. Some obvious issues arise in trying to ensure this, especially on an old campus. Generally, we must ensure that structures are in place for dealing with people with learning or intellectual disabilities, including people with conditions like dyslexia and so on. Every third level institution has made concerted attempts to ensure better access.

However, it must be well co-ordinated, which is the advantage of the DARE system.

The Department of Education and Skills is finalising the national plan for equity of access to higher education which will ensure there are targets in place for people with disabilities accessing and participating in higher education. Of course, there are also important commitments to ensuring access for other groups that are disadvantaged and for non-traditional groups entering third level education, in particular, for mature students and students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and the designated disadvantaged schools. It is still shameful how low the numbers are for those entering third level education, particularly universities, from disadvantaged schools. The law school in Trinity College Dublin pioneered a scheme for set-aside places for students coming through the Trinity Access Programmes schools. It has been hugely successful and rolled out across the college. That model requires real support and I am glad to hear from the Minister that the Government is continuing to support these models. I hope there will be an even more streamlined programme with the national plan for equity of access to higher education for the next two years.

As a parent of primary school children, I wish to comment on the new model being rolled out for children with special educational needs in primary and post-primary education. Senators Katherine Zappone and Martin Conway made the point that when trying to improve equality of access to education, it is not just a resource issue in many instances but of how we structure models of access. A good example is the current model for allocating teaching resources for students with special educational needs. As the Minister said and as the former Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, and others have pointed out for a number of years, there is a problem with the current model as it requires a diagnosis. In many cases it requires parents to obtain private diagnoses for their children. There are also other issues around the child perhaps internalising a label where a diagnosis is offered when it might not, in fact, be necessary. A much fairer and more equitable system of supports will be put in place through the new model being considered. It will be an allocation model developed for schools and will not require individual diagnoses. I commend the Government on its work on it.

We should also discuss other aspects of equal access for persons with disabilities, not just to educational opportunities but to other opportunities in training and employment. The national disability strategy is the Minister's area of responsibility and we are all concerned about the low numbers of persons with disabilities in employment. The Labour Party Senators previously tabled a motion on the need for the provision of personal assistants and a potential statutory framework. I will speak to the Minister of State again about this; I have already spoken to the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, about it. It is an example of the type of support that might be necessary to ensure greater participation levels by persons with disabilities in the workplace.

I thank the Minister of State for his commitment to this issue and my Seanad colleagues who have contributed and will contribute to the debate. The Seanad has a good record of bringing forward this issue and keeping it to the forefront of the Government's priorities. We will continue to do so.

Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. This debate is about social justice, not charity. My first response when I meet people with a disability is one of empathy, quickly followed by admiration. When one sees the achievements of people with a disability in athletics, academia, technology, the arts and many other areas, one realises their tenacity of character and the great efforts they make to overcome the problems that beset them, more so than other sections of society. That admiration changes to sorrow when I meet members who are obliged to come to the gates of Leinster House to demand the very basic social justice we enjoy in our lives. I begin to realise that after all the efforts they have made and despite the morale boosters they have been for us, they are challenged by the very system that should be supporting them. This must be a wake up call.

We do not gain anything from making this a political issue. It is not an issue on which the Minister or a Government should in any way be held up to ridicule or otherwise. This issue belongs to all of us as a people. The fact that over 18.5% of the population experience some level of disability should remind us of how big this issue is. The 2011 report of the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, leaves us in no doubt of the inadequacies and omissions in this area. Clearly, there is a definite correlation between educational disadvantage and disability. That is the starting point. If one is disabled, one can automatically be challenged when it comes to education. That is not to take from any of the achievements to date. Senator Martin Conway might be correct that it might not be due to financial resources alone, but, for whatever reason, I do not believe there is a proper implementation plan. We should set about putting an implementation plan in place, but only do so after intensive and direct consultation with the disability sector. That is vital.

Second, whatever resources are required by the voluntary organisations must be made available in the first instance. These resources are minuscule in the context of the total issue we are discussing, but these organisations, together with the people with a disability, are at the coalface every day. Each time I listen to a radio or television programme on which this matter is discussed these organisations tend to be non-confrontational. All they are seeking is that people with a disability be given their entitlements. We are facing the introduction of the budget shortly. The minimum that should happen in it is that there should be no cutbacks in this area. I do not believe one would meet a single citizen who, if asked, would wish to see money in the sector cut by €1. Why is that? If 18.5% of the population have some level of disability, it means that virtually every family or an extended part of the family has someone with a disability. Therefore, we are all fully aware that what we are discussing is the reality on the ground.

If we are to discuss having an implementation plan, the statistics are clear. The number of people who do not finish their schooling or programme of education is four times lower among able-bodied people. That is 25%. The number of people with a disability who do not finish their primary education is a very stark statistic in its own right. What we must consider is social justice, which it is unquestionably. Other sections of society have special measures created for them for economic or industrial, housing or other reasons. There are many such instances. There is nothing unusual in looking at a specific sector and deciding that it requires special attention.

I have a suggestion for the Minister of State, although, given his background in education, we do not have to tell him what the position is. However, even if it is not necessarily part of his portfolio - perhaps it is - there is an opportunity for him to tell the Government that each Member of this House strongly believes there should be no further cutbacks and that, where there are opportunities to reverse the cutbacks that have taken place, it should avail of them. It is vital that we deal with this matter, not because we all have an opportunity to speak here and perhaps appear on television or in the newspapers.

It is not an issue that will go away tomorrow. Nor is it one that will be resolved unless we are prepared to be courageous and say, "Yes, that sector has been left behind." Now is the opportunity to redress that. If that message goes forth from all political parties, one would hope that the people who hold the purse strings have no less compassion than ourselves and are in exactly the same situation. I hope that message will be successful and that we will see an improvement in resources to provide every opportunity that those people require. Above all else, we must afford them the social justice to which they are entitled.

Senator Martin Conway

Well said.

Senator Jim D'Arcy

Is rún tábhachtach é seo.

According to the report entitled A Social Portrait of People with Disabilities in Ireland, there is a relationship between educational disadvantage and educational disability. There is also a strong reciprocal association between disability and educational achievement for young adults. Among people with a disability aged 18 to 34, well over half were affected by their disability before leaving school or college. Census figures indicate that people with a disability are only half as likely to be at work as the general population between the ages of 25 and 64. In addition, people with a disability are less likely to marry, which might be a good or a bad thing. According to the 2006 census, about half the general population aged 25 to 44 are married, compared to just over one third of people with a disability. Such statistics show that there are inequalities concerning disability which need to be addressed. I note that the proposer of the motion, Senator Mary Moran, has emphasised the mental health side of this matter. I welcome that because it is time we treated mental health conditions like any other disability and removed the stigma from the issue. That is happening, but not fast enough.

The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 legislates for the provision of education plans for students with special educational needs. Under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, children with special educational needs are educated in an inclusive environment with children who do not have special needs. Of the 190,303 children estimated in 2010 to have a special educational need, as defined by the Act, for almost half - i.e., 86,083, or 8% of all children - a mental health difficulty is the condition giving rise to that need.

A Vision for Change advises that ensuring that children and adolescents remain engaged in the education system is a crucial first step in breaking the cycle of social exclusion. It also notes that schools are well placed to play a role in early intervention. In this regard the restoration of full-time ex quota career guidance counsellors is necessary. The former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, stated in this House that this would be a priority once the economic situation improved. Perhaps we can take a look at that matter shortly.

I am excluding Senator Ó Murchú from this completely, but I listened to some Opposition Members referring to recent cuts as though the Government was to blame. All I can say is that they must be taking large doses of milk of amnesia.

Senator Martin Conway

Senator Ó Murchú never took that.

Senator Jim D'Arcy

No. He is sound as a pound.

Senator Marie Moloney

Senator Ó Murchú has been endorsed.

Senator Jim D'Arcy

In the context of career guidance, I should mention that Senator Moran's brother, Mr. Gerry Malone, is one of the foremost and best career guidance teachers in Dundalk, if not in the country. He has successfully dealt with many such issues while keeping students up to their work. I am sure that other guidance counsellors do likewise. I am therefore calling for restoration of the previous position with regard to guidance counsellors, which would be helpful in the context of mental health and equality.

Recently, I was dealing with the Drogheda Institute of Further Education on a registration matter. On the registration form it is stated prominently that disability is no bar to enrolment. I can say that déanann siad beart de réir a mbriathar - they certainly practice what they preach.

I support the motion and I am sorry that there is an amendment to it. This is not the practice with motions on education and social inclusion, because we all try to work together. Perhaps there is a good reason for it, however, and we will hear that in due course.

Senator Kathryn Reilly

May I move the Sinn Féin amendment?

An Cathaoirleach

No. Amendment No. 2 must be dealt with first.

Senator Kathryn Reilly

Okay. Our amendment, like that of Fianna Fáil, was tabled because we felt that more substance was needed in the original motion moved by the Labour Party Senators. The education system should be designed in a way that ensures that all children can reach their full potential. Children with special needs and disabilities should be given the extra assistance they may require to enable them to do so where needed. SNA allocations should not be made solely on the most cost-effective basis.

The principle of inclusive schools is being undermined through an erosion of resources, which means it will be impossible to integrate children with special needs into a mainstream classroom setting. Supports are being withdrawn from children with a wide range of conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia and, in one reported case, Down's syndrome. That has caused massive hardship to extremely vulnerable young children.

This year's NCSE figures on SNA allocations initially indicate that fewer schools have had a reduction in SNA posts compared to last year. However, that is not reflective of the difficulties that are facing schools in managing the needs of more children with the same level of support. There is an information deficit as to what these figures actually mean and how they are affecting individual schools. Teachers are under-resourced and not effectively equipped to manage some students with more complex needs, despite their being able to remain in mainstream schools. It is an unfair situation that needs to be rectified.

At present the number of SNAs that some schools have does not match the needs of their students. There is a great onus, therefore, on school managements to try to distribute those SNAs as best they can. Over the years the role of SNAs has evolved. Parents will confirm what a crucial and pivotal role they play in the daily lives of children with special educational needs. However, deteriorating staffing ratios, shrinking resources and cuts to essential one-to-one interventions are all contributing to a growing crisis in our school system. This is occurring at a time when the special educational needs population is growing.

Rather than a corresponding increase in resources, we see that some of these needs are being placed as a secondary priority. Many Senators have mentioned the delays facing such children when attempting to access NEPS assessments. That is grossly unfair. The general expectation that parents will pay for assessments privately or perhaps seek support from charitable organisations to fund them is not a viable solution. It will leave children from disadvantaged backgrounds at risk of falling behind. Families that cannot afford much-needed assessments will face even more challenges down the road due to the lack of necessary provision.

Early intervention for children with special needs is paramount. Currently, however, we are witnessing waiting lists for diagnosis that will ultimately play havoc with such children's development. Rather than meeting the issue head-on to begin the process of assistance for the child, we are creating a situation in which years can pass with insufficient recognition of the problem.

Schools throughout the State are facing increased class sizes. The pressures have never been so apparent, and any reduction in SNA hours has an effect not just on the child with special educational needs but on the entire class.

I want to raise an issue with the Minister that was not raised earlier. It concerns the youth guarantee scheme. When the scheme was conceived it was intended to address the needs of all young people under the age of 25 who become unemployed, but when the implementation plan was designed it targeted young people between the ages of 18 and 24. However, it targeted those in receipt of jobseeker's payments, which excluded certain sections of society. Young people on disability allowance are not provided for under the youth guarantee scheme; therefore, they are not getting the same education or training opportunities as those on jobseeker's payments within the plan, which is discriminatory. We heard much talk today about higher education, equity of access to education and inclusion, but young people with disabilities are not guaranteed a place in education, training or employment under the youth guarantee implementation plan as articulated by the Government. People with disabilities have as much to offer as those without a disability, and this sends out a negative message which has been articulated to me by a number of youth organisations. There is an inherent danger that if certain people are excluded now, we will embed social exclusion in the system in the long term. That is why I ask the Minister to put pressure on the Minister for Social Protection to review the implementation plan with a view to making it more inclusive for those who have been left on the sidelines.

Along with other Members I call on the Government to ensure equality of access to education and other supports for persons with disabilities within the provision of State services, that these be based upon needs to ensure they can fulfil their educational potential, and that they be granted the right to equal opportunities.

Senator Susan O'Keeffe

I thank the Minister for what was a comprehensive statement to the House on the motion. Senators on all sides of the House will always want greater provision of resources, new reports and new investigations, and it is our duty to remind the Government of the need to do that, but it is important that we acknowledge the work that has been done and the fact that there are more SNAs. The Minister stated earlier that it is constantly highlighted that there are fewer SNAs than was the case previously, but we can see that there are more. This debate is always difficult because it is an emotive area. We highlight the areas we can shout about while forgetting that we must give credit to the work being done and to the dedication of many people in Government in making sure there is better resource allocation for our young people in their schools.

I concur with Senator Jim D'Arcy that it is unfortunate that amendments have been tabled, because we should try to work together to encourage the Government to commit those resources and implement the NCSE's recommendations on the allocation of teaching resources. We note that extra money has been made available, including €4 million for 80 new therapy posts. I do not hear any mention of that on the opposite side of the House, yet it is a welcome measure.

I thank the Minister. I thank my colleagues, Senators Mary Moran and Marie Moloney, for proposing the motion, which allowed us to discuss the issue. We must make sure these children are always on our agenda and that we do not forget their needs. We must urge the Government to commit to them and to keep up the good work.

An Cathaoirleach

Is amendment No. 2 being pressed?

Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú

To the best of my knowledge, it is not being pressed.

An Cathaoirleach

It was moved earlier by Senator Power.

Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú

I did not think it was being pressed.

An Cathaoirleach

Is it being withdrawn by leave of the House?

Senator Mary Moran

Senator Ó Murchú has to make the decision now.

Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú

I am happy to support the motion. That is my instruction.

Amendment No. 2, by leave, withdrawn.

Senator Kathryn Reilly

I move amendment No. 1:

“To delete all words after ‘services generally;’ and substitute the following:

- notes the cruel cuts and unnecessary changes to government policy that make it more difficult for children with special needs to access resources such as Special Needs Assistants and Resource Teachers;

- further notes the unacceptable delays children are faced with when attempting to access NEPS assessments and the general expectation that parents will pay for assessments privately or seek supports from charitable organisations to fund them, leaving children from more disadvantaged backgrounds at further risk of falling behind;

- believes it is not acceptable that children with special needs would go without the appropriate support to see them through their education and that pupils should be allocated Special Needs Assistants and Resource Teaching hours based on educational need alone; and

calls on the Government to ensure equality of access to educational and other supports for persons with disabilities within the provision of State services generally based on need so that all persons may fulfil their educational potential.”

An Cathaoirleach

Is there a seconder for the amendment? In the absence of a seconder the amendment lapses.

Amendment No. 1 lapsed.

Motion agreed to.

An Cathaoirleach

When is it proposed to sit again?

Senator Martin Conway

At 10.30 tomorrow morning.

Seanad Éireann debate - Wednesday, 24 Sep 2014

Access to Educational and Other Opportunities for People with Disabilities: Motion

Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Sep 2014