Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I would like to share time with Deputy Cregan. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill, which is of fundamental importance to the Government's strategy to support participation by people with disabilities in all areas of society. Access to education is key to full and active citizenship and the fulfilment of personal potential as a member of society. This has quite rightly been identified as an issue of major importance to persons with disabilities, who can face daunting obstacles in their efforts to progress through the education system. There has been significant progress in recent years at each stage of our education system in enabling and supporting participation among people with disabilities. I want to highlight some of the steps that are being taken in that regard. In recognising those advances, I accept that we still have some way to go in ensuring that those with a disability have full and timely access to the range of education services and supports that are appropriate to their needs. The education provisions of this Bill should greatly strengthen the efforts that are already under way in this respect.

This Bill and the Comhairle (Amendment) Bill 2004 are both complementary elements of a developing statutory framework that started with Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. This Bill will take up where that Act leaves off as it will provide a mechanism to address the educational needs of those over 18 years. Both pieces of legislation provide a mechanism for assessment of need and for the preparation and delivery of a statement of needs. In each case, the National Council for Special Education has a pivotal role. That council has now been established with general functions to carry out research and to provide expert advice to the Minister on the educational needs of children with disabilities. That body was working on a non-statutory basis for the past year and has now been formally established since 1 January 2005. Its advisory function will now be extended under Part 2 of this Bill to include advice on how to meet the educational needs of adults with disabilities and to assist the Health Service Executive with the educational assessment of adults with disabilities. Where an assessment identifies an educational need in an adult, a service statement will be prepared which includes measures to address the need. The council will identify an education service provider that can meet that need and will arrange for the provision of the service on behalf of the Health Service Executive. This represents an important extension of the established functions of the council under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004.

That Act has now provided a map to the future development of special educational needs services. It builds on a period of significant investment in special educational services which has seen much growth in resources following the Government's decision in 1998 that children with special educational needs should be given an automatic response to those needs. This has produced a dramatic expansion of available supports. The number of resource teachers at primary level has grown from 104 in 1998 to more than 2,500. The number of special needs assistants at primary level has grown from 300 in 1998 to more than 5,000. In the area of equipment to assist pupils with special needs, provision has grown from €800,000 in 1998 to over €3 million. Significant expansion has also occurred at post-primary level where there are now 1,400 teaching posts and more than 600 special needs assistants. The funding allocation in the area of special needs education this year now stands at €628 million, which is an increase of 12% on 2004. The implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 will have further consequences for the allocation of resources in the education sector. The challenges of gearing the system to deal with the demands placed on it will be intensified by the expanded role of the council provided for under this Bill. It is vital that all of us in the education system rise to these challenges over the coming years.

I would like to highlight some of the measures that have been taken over recent years in the further and higher education sectors for adults with disabilities. The research work of the Association for Higher Education and Disability, or AHEAD, has been invaluable in both identifying progress and pinpointing the areas in need of improvement. Data available from vocational education committees on adult literacy provision for 2003 indicate that 27 out of 33 VEC adult literacy schemes made provision for persons with disabilities. Statistical returns for the back to education initiative for 2003 show a figure of 15.3% of participants classifying themselves as having a disability. Two special schools receive funding under that initiative for courses for former pupils who are now either in employment or have left full-time education. Useful initiatives have been introduced in some centres in conjunction with the former health boards to provide education for people who need support to function outside long-term residential care. In other cases, the back to education initiative providers are working in conjunction with organisations that provide support for people entering employment for the first time.

In the higher education sector, the Higher Education Authority has provided approximately €8.5 million since 1996 for the development of a core infrastructure in our universities to support the participation of students with a disability. This has enabled the development of academic policies and procedures as well as physical structures to accommodate students with disabilities on all programmes. Dedicated disability support offices and specialist staff are in place across the institutions. Training is provided for academic and non-academic staff. Units for the provision of assisting technology for students have been established. Pre-entry programmes and links to second level schools have been established and post-entry orientation and support programmes are in place, while other forms of direct support are provided. These measures are aimed at creating as supportive an environment as possible for students with disabilities.

Preliminary indications from the latest research conducted by AHEAD are that these measures are yielding very positive outcomes in participation rate increases over the past five years. However, this is from a very low base. The work of the recently established national office for equity of access to higher education will be important in promoting the further progress required on this front. It is important to recognise that we are not yet adequately dealing with the full range and level of demand for educational services that exists from adults with disabilities. I am committed to using this Bill to advance progress on this front and to ensure that models of best practice are in place throughout the further and higher education sectors.

There has been a palpable pace of development in the needs of persons with disabilities in recent years. I am especially pleased with the warm welcome that was given to the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. This Bill is a near mirror image of the systems and procedures inherent in that Act. I am convinced that these will revolutionise approaches throughout the education system by placing the educational rights of every person with a disability at the centre of our concerns. It would be naive to think that this Bill alone will provide all the solutions. I believe, however, that it provides a strong basis for action and progress. It points a clear way forward for my Department, for the National Council for Special Education, for education service providers and adults with disabilities.

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