Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will bring all these issues to the Minister’s attention. Every Member wants to see this whole area changed. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has put forward recommendations for a new allocation model that will ensure resources will be allocated based on children’s needs and their level of need, not their category of disability. That is what the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, wants to do. She met with Down Syndrome Ireland this morning and will take on board its suggestions. She will also meet with some parents. The Deputy has correspondence from some parents explaining how they feel what they are up against. We have been given a good look-in through the articles by Brendan O’Connor over the past several weeks in the Sunday Independent, painting the picture of how difficult it is for parents to get the resources they need.

We all know this model has to change but we have to get it right, as the Deputy said himself. The Minister feels very strongly that rushing it through in the last month would not work because all the evidence needed to ensure it is right is not there and it is an issue that crosses several Departments.

As to what can be done in the meantime for a short-term solution, as the Deputy raised this afternoon, I will bring it up with the Minister. Deputy Finian McGrath’s Bill was not opposed by the Government. The NCSE which gives policy advice on this matter, however, did not agree with the legislation. It stated it could not establish an evidence base to support a recommendation that a child with Down’s syndrome should be allocated supports over and above other children with mild learning disabilities. It is proposing a new model which will give the same solution. We have to join the dots and see what we can do.

I will bring this matter back to the Minister and make sure she contacts the Deputy on this. I know he is being genuine in raising the issue and we are genuinely trying to sort it out.

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