Ms Anna Shakespeare:

It was back to the Deputy's prior question around transition and what works. I am aware of the cross-departmental groups. One of the findings from the Ability programme involves the really good example of the Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability, WALK, which is probably in the Deputy's own area. The local students in the special education school do not have access to career guidance. Their expectations from a school perspective are set at a low bar. I am not trying in any way to take away from the excellent work of other programmes but the expectation is that they will automatically move into a HSE-funded day service, New Directions, and that is their path. That is the expectation that is created with their mams and dads. As we know, our mams and dads are at the heart of driving where we go. The career guidance programme WALK has run over the last number of years is now being replicated in 100 schools across the Dublin area. It is about seeing a future that goes beyond being a disabled person and only being educated with, living with or working alongside other disabled individuals, but rather that disabled people are part of the mainstream and fabric of Irish society. It is starting at those transition points and creating that expectation. We have lots of really good practice case studies, as everybody has described this morning, which given the opportunity could really be replicated and make a big difference.