Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2014
539. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the implementation of the Equality of Access (Down's syndrome) Bill; if she will provide for the recent improvements for all pupils with Down's syndrome in our national schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37127/14]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Equality of Access (Down's syndrome) Bill has been referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection, where it can be considered in the context of forthcoming proposals to establish a new model for the allocation of resource teaching supports in mainstream schools.
I wish to advise the Deputy that all children with Down Syndrome will have access to resource teaching support for the coming year, either through a schools General Allocation Model, if the child has Mild General Learning Difficulties, or via an allocation made to school by the National Council for Special Education, if the child is in the low incidence special educational needs range, as defined by my Departments Circular 02/05.
The NCSE report on Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools has now been published and is available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie. The report recommends that under the new resource allocation model proposed by the NCSE in its report, children should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need, rather than by disability category.
The NCSE report states that the NCSE is confident that the introduction of a new allocation model will overcome the difficulty posed by all children with Mild General Learning Disabilities, including children with Down syndrome, who have additional difficulties and who can be supported according to their level of need and in line with their learning plan process.
In the meantime, schools are reminded that they can differentiate the level of learning support granted to ensure that available resources are used to support children in line with their needs.
