Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As a former primary school teacher, the Deputy will be aware that pupils with Down's syndrome who have a mild general learning disability, in addition to mainstream class teaching support, receive support from learning support teachers allocated to schools by my Department through the general allocation model. Those pupils who are assessed as having a more significant, moderate or severe general learning disability receive an individual allocation of resource teaching hours. This individual allocation is made by the NCSE.

The recent NCSE report on supporting children with special educational needs recommended that under a proposed new allocation model all children, including those with Down's syndrome, should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need rather than by disability category. The NCSE also recommended that in the short term, pupils with Down's syndrome who are in the mild general learning disability category should continue to be supported by schools' learning support allocation in the same way as other pupils with a mild GLD.

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