Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to share time with Deputies Cregan, Dooley, Blaney, Connick, Calleary and Conlon. I reassure Deputy McManus that I will bring the matter to the attention of the Minister, Deputy O'Keeffe. I am the Minister of State at the Department but her comments would be best directed at the senior Minister in this case.

I do not want to distract Members from our purpose with regard to this motion but I wish to register my strong protest at an article in the Irish Independent I read on my way here. It referred to Members as bloodsuckers, which is an over the top and inappropriate way to refer to Members. It reflects badly on the newspaper concerned and, as a profession, we need to defend ourselves because this is an outrageous phrase to use about us. If we used this term with regard to virtually any other category of person in society, there would be understandable outrage. If I used it about any group of people, I would have to resign my position. It is important that this is registered.

The mainstream approach to those with mild general learning disability is universally understood by educators to be the correct approach to this learning disability, which is general and mild by its nature. It is important to reaffirm that point. The Government measure is designed to put such pupils in mainstream class settings. Children with mild general learning disability will continue to have additional teaching resources to support their education. All primary schools have been given resources to cater for children with mild general learning disability. Each school is given an allocation of resource or learning support teaching under the general allocation model, which was introduced in 2005. This is given in addition to the school's allocation of classroom teachers. This additional allocation will not be withdrawn from any school. In the majority of schools, children with a mild general learning disability are included with their peers in ordinary classes and supported by their class teacher. The curriculum is flexible so that teachers can cater for the needs of children of different abilities. Schools use their resource or learning support allocation to give children extra help if they need it. This policy of inclusion has widespread support within the education community and is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Having children included in mainstream classes is the desire of the vast majority of parents. Academically and socially, children with mild general learning disability benefit from interacting with their peers in the classroom setting. Historically, some schools were allowed to establish a special class if they had 11 pupils with a mild general learning disability. The arrangements were that the teacher would no longer be allocated where the number of pupils dropped below nine. Some 128 classes are being discontinued in 119 schools. All of these classes have eight or fewer children and over half have five or fewer children. Eighty of the 119 schools have reduced class sizes under the DEIS or other disadvantage schemes. Some 17 of these schools will gain an additional teaching post when these pupils are placed in ordinary classes. In 2005, when the new general allocation system was introduced, schools with additional teachers and special classes for children with a mild general learning disability were allowed to keep the teacher for these classes. Effectively, these schools got a double allocation. Since then, these existing special classes continued in schools as long as there were nine or more children in the class. The number in the classes has steadily decreased over the years. Some schools have opted voluntarily to stop the classes and integrate the children into an age appropriate mainstream class. No new classes have been established in recent years. These are the facts underpinning the decision by the Minister. Classes for these children with particular needs and difficulties were a phenomenon on the increase. This mainstream approach was sought by educators and underpinned by the UN commitment. When resources are constrained or cut back, there is an understandable clamour, worry, anxiety and frustration in regard to children with learning difficulties, particularly when one deals with education. It is important to put this in context. It is better for children in the short, medium and long term to be in mainstream class settings.

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