Maria Corrigan (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to raise this issue of funding for young people with intellectual disability who will be leaving school at the end of next month. There was uncertainty last year regarding whether funding would be made available and, fortunately, with the assistance of the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, we were able to get confirmation for those young people and their families the week after school closed that they would receive funding for places in September.

The reasons for the importance of knowing about this are twofold. First, it gives families and the young people themselves a great deal of reassurance and confidence as they face into the summer holidays that there will be a place for them to attend in September, that their education has not come to a dramatic end and that they will not be destined to remain sitting at home.

Second, confirmation that the funding will be made available would provide the opportunity for some planning to take place and for the individuals to visit some of the placements on offer for September. In that way they will have an idea what awaits them in September. For any of us starting in a new place it is always a time of anxiety and apprehension but as the Minister of State can imagine, for somebody with an intellectual disability that change and uncertainty is all the more pronounced. Confirmation of the funding being made available would give them some certainty.

While I have the opportunity I will raise another matter with the Minister of State. It has come to my attention that there are a number of individuals who, unfortunately, left school last year but who are still at home and have been unable to access school placements. I realise this is not included as a matter for the Adjournment but would it be possible for the Minister to see what could be done for those individuals?