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

Pupils with Down's syndrome who have a mild general learning disability receive resource teaching support from teachers allocated to schools through the general allocation model. The recent National Council for Special Education, 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 come under the general allocation model in the same way as other pupils with mild general learning disabilities. This will remain the position in September 2014. As the Deputy may be aware, the NCSE is working on a new general allocation model and I hope to receive its report on that matter in approximately eight weeks' time.

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