Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 February 2014
111. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that children with Down's syndrome due to start school in September will be given automatic access to resource teaching hours equal to those on offer in respect of children in the low-incidence category.. [8916/14]
View answerI understand that in reply to a previous question from Deputy Finian McGrath, the Minister indicated that the needs of children with Down's syndrome would be met as part of the overall review. However, this will not do anything for children who are due to start school in September of this year and whose applications need to be completed by the end of March. What does the Minister intend to do to cater for those children?
Pupils with Down's syndrome who have a mild general learning disability receive resource teaching support from teachers allocated to schools through the general allocation model. The recent National Council for Special Education, NCSE, report on supporting children with special educational needs recommended that, under a proposed new allocation model, all children, including those with Down's syndrome, should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need rather than by disability category. The NCSE also recommended that, in the short term, pupils with Down's syndrome who are in the mild general learning disability category should continue to come under the general allocation model in the same way as other pupils with mild general learning disabilities. This will remain the position in September 2014. As the Deputy may be aware, the NCSE is working on a new general allocation model and I hope to receive its report on that matter in approximately eight weeks time.
The problem with the Minister's answer is that the new allocation model will obviously affect all children with disabilities, which is entirely appropriate. However, the current system discriminates against the condition of Down's syndrome or does not bestow on it an adequate rating. Comparisons have been made with autism. For the very small number of children who are in the category to which I refer, who are due to start school in September and whose parents must complete their applications by the end of March, they will be left behind and assessed under the old model - which discriminates against Down's syndrome - rather than being treated in the same way as, for example, children with autism.
Given the life-changing potential provided by those resource teaching hours for these children and the very small cost to the State, I ask the Minister to consider introducing an emergency measure to deal with them while awaiting the overall review model to be initiated.
I do not wish to make a commitment in advance of getting the model report. We will then need to consider the implications and whether to phase in any change, maintain the present system or alter the present system. I hope to have that report within six to eight weeks.
Is the Minister saying there is a possibility that parents of children with Down's syndrome can have their children's educational needs looked after under the new policy, even though the deadline for applications under the old model is the end of March? The new system will not be ready by then. Will they be able to avail of the new system?
I will consider my reply and I may write to the Deputy to provide her with further information but it is not possible to anticipate at this point in time.
Questions Nos. 112, 122 and 282 are from Deputies Lyons, Conway and O'Brien. I call Deputy Conway.
