Mr. Donald Ewing:

Regarding wider solutions, we were fortunate enough to be hosted at lunchtime on Wednesday last week for a briefing in one of the Chambers here. We presented to colleagues, to Deputies and Senators and to a range of interested parties, including some of the education partners, about what we saw as the main issues. We recognise that an Irish exemption is not a panacea and that it is one part of a toolkit. We identify five key issues: teacher training, which is lacking; a lack of access to assessment; a lack of quality support that is regularly reviewed and quality assured; the lack of focus on the importance of the identity of being dyslexic, which involves rights and recognition; and support with exams and accommodations, which is currently based on evidence of deficit model. People have to prove how bad they are to get help with exams and get appropriate accommodations. Dropping to basic level or ordinary level is not a good solution because young people with dyslexia can be as smart as anyone else. We need to keep intellectual expectations high while maybe doing things differently for the mechanics of reading and spelling. We circulated a briefing paper last week with nine solutions. I am happy to make that available to colleagues today. Those solutions include better and more coherent teacher training, equitable and timely access to assessments, quality support and more consistent use of school support plans, and formal recognition of the right to be dyslexic. That is so important for self-identity, rights and recognition. We also need to improve how we evidence eligibility for assistance with exams so people can work to their potential and stop having to ask and beg constantly for the right supports, which we should not have to do as a recognised disability.