Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. I appreciate that efforts are being made. I would stand firm in my view that not enough is being done. I believe these plans should be mandatory. I would like to see a commitment from the Government to a higher rate of compliance with the requirement for assessments of need, particularly in counties Laois and Offaly, which are failing miserably to meet the targets set out in the Disability Act. It is not good enough in this day and age. We talk about equality and inclusivity in education, but we need action rather than lip service. Many of the plans and templates I have seen are based on a deficit model, which lists the child's needs and failings. It has been suggested that individual education plans, which include the child's strengths, should be made mandatory. That is where we need to be coming from. Society creates barriers for children, especially children with special needs.

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