Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While an attempt may be made to remove me from the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, it does not prevent me from speaking on education issues. I raised this issue last week with the Leader and in other ways. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, must state his position on how he intends to help children with Down's syndrome.

A huge movement is gathering on this issue in every county. These little children are not having their needs recognised. They are specific needs in addition to them getting learning support. They have a very distinctive syndrome that stands alone. So many other disabilities are recognised and theirs is not. They deserve resource teaching and resource hours but are not getting them. They are being lumped into the general allocation model with all other children with learning difficulties but they have extra learning needs specifically because of Down's syndrome. They have needs for speech therapy, language issues, physical issues and gross motor issues.

The Minister told us he would give us a statement before the summer. I understand the House will go into recess next Tuesday or Wednesday. I ask the Leader to ensure that statement is read to this House before we go into recess. These parents are looking to us to ensure their children get a level playing field by 1 September. We both know that unless that is done before we go into recess, parents will be left high and dry for the rest of the summer and those children will be lumped in with everyone else again some next September. That is fundamentally unfair and unjust. We are either going to help the children of the country - the born children - or we are not.