Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2013
968. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if it is the plan of the Health Service Executive in County Donegal to close the Ballaghderg special needs preschool in Letterkenny; the proposals in place to accommodate the 5% of children with special needs that cannot be facilitated in the mainstream preschool setting in County Donegal in the event of such a closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27019/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the Health Service Executive has operational responsibility for the provision of health and personal social services including disability services for children. Within this context it has a responsibility to ensure that the health related needs of children with special needs are addressed and that these children are appropriately supported in pre-school and school settings. This is done in a number of ways such as by providing grant aid to support pre-school provision in community pre-schools and by funding special pre-schools that cater specifically for pre-school children with disabilities. It also facilitates children with special needs to attend mainstream pre-school by providing the necessary assistant supports. The HSE’s role in supporting children with special needs involves it working in close co-operation with the disability service providers that it funds, with the education sector and with the parents and families of the children in question.
The inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream pre-school settings is an integral part of the Government’s policy on mainstreaming and the intellectual disability services in Donegal are currently developing a project to facilitate the inclusion, where appropriate, of children with an intellectual disability in mainstream pre-schools.
A project team has been established by the HSE in Donegal to determine the supports that will be required in mainstream pre-schools to accommodate children with an intellectual disability and to ensure these children receive the assistance necessary for them to reach their full potential. The overall aim of the project is to ensure that children with an intellectual disability can be educated in their own communities and with their own peers rather than being segregated in specialist disability services, unless a child is assessed as requiring specialist care. The intention is that specialised pre-school provision will only be used in cases where the nature of a child’s disability is so complex or severe that it requires significant levels of care to the extent that integration in a mainstream pre-school setting is not feasible. It is estimated that this would apply in no more than 5% of cases of children with a disability.
The HSE has no immediate plans to close Ballaghderg pre-school in Letterkenny and this pre-school will continue to deliver services until 2015. The HSE will continue to engage with parents as the transition project develops and each child will be individually assessed and will continue to receive the supports and services they need. Any future plans for services will be fully discussed with parents with a view to ensuring their children receive the best possible support in the most appropriate setting.
