Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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199. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the relatively small number of valid applications received by the National Council for Special Education for additional resource teaching hours for children with Down's syndrome for the 2015-2016 school year, her views on whether the condition should be added to the low incidence list, under a new resource teacher allocation model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19027/15]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of children in main stream education who have Down's syndrome; if she is aware of the implications for future resource provision, and forward planning within the education system, associated with the current absence of the condition on the low incidence list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19028/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together.

The National Council for Special Education's (NCSE) has advised that 165 valid applications have been received from schools to date, in respect of children with Down syndrome, not already supported through the NCSE annual allocation process. However, the allocation process for the 2015/16 school year has not concluded and additional applications may also be received under any second round application process.

All children with Down syndrome had previously been entitled to receive additional teaching support either through the General Allocation Model or if they had an additional low incidence disability, as set out in my Departments Circular 02/05. However, as Down syndrome had not previously been designated as a distinct category for resource allocation purposes, it is not possible to categorically state how many children with Down syndrome currently attend main stream education.

The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced that additional resources will be allocated to schools, as an interim measure, to support those children with Down syndrome, who are not already supported through the (NCSE) low incidence resource teaching annual allocation process.

I advised that this measure was being introduced in recognition of the length of time it will take to introduce the new resource teacher allocation model and the fact that children with Down syndrome experience a cluster of difficulties relating to this syndrome, in addition to general learning difficulties, including speech and language developmental delays.

In the context of the recent announcement that the proposed new model for allocating resource teachers to schools will not now be introduced from September 2015, I have reviewed the position in relation to what steps might be taken to improve educational provision for children with Down syndrome in mainstream schools.

On 24th of March, I announced that the Government has agreed that additional resources will be allocated to schools, as an interim measure, to support those children with Down syndrome, who are not already supported through the National Council for Special Education's (NCSE) annual allocation process.

This measure is being introduced now in recognition of the length of time it will take to introduce the new resource teacher model which was recommended by the NCSE.

Under the interim measure schools will receive 2.5 resource teacher hours per week for each qualifying child.

This new allocation means there will now be certainty regarding the provision which will be made for children with Down syndrome with a Mild General Learning Difficulty.

As my Department is continuing to develop the new allocation model for schools and is currently working to devise a pilot of the new model, I do not propose to amend the current list of low incidence disabilities pending the introduction of a new allocation model.

I can confirm, however, that interim allocations for children with Down syndrome, as set out above, will remain in place until such time as the proposed new model for allocating teaching supports to children with special education needs comes into force.