Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Private Members' Down's Syndrome (Equality of Access) Bill 2013 has passed Second Stage in the Dáil and has been referred to the Committee on Education and Social Protection.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education has recommended that a new model for allocating resource teachers to schools be put in place, which proposes that pupils, including those with Down's syndrome, should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need, rather than by disability category. My Department is currently working to develop this model and to assess the impact of the new model on schools and on children. I have asked my officials to report on whether, and from when, this new model could be brought into place.

In the meantime, pupils with Down's syndrome will continue to receive resource teaching support from teachers allocated to schools either through the general allocation model or by the NCSE.

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