Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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528. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will respond to concerns (details supplied) by parents of a child with Down's syndrome; if children with Down's syndrome will be provided with an individualised right to resource teaching hours, outside the general allocation system, similar to those whose needs her Department classifies as low incidence. [7892/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that under the existing allocation system, all pupils with Down syndrome, including such pupils with mild general learning difficulties, currently are entitled to receive additional teaching support.

Such support is provided either from a school's allocation of Learning Support or Resource Teaching under the General Allocation Model (GAM), or from an allocation of additional resource teacher hours allocated to schools by the NCSE.

I am aware that some parents, and organisations representing children with Down syndrome, continue to have concerns that the existing system does not give them certainty as to the number of resource teaching hours that may be allocated to their child under the General Allocation Model, as these hours are distributed locally by schools. I met with Down Syndrome Ireland, and with some parents of children with Down syndrome, recently on 19th February.

This was an opportunity for me to discuss the concerns that they have regarding the provision of resource teaching support for children with Down syndrome.

I intend to meet with more parents over the coming week or so.

I will consider the issues that have been raised by Down Syndrome Ireland and parents, and will keep the Deputy and the House informed of my developing views on this matter.