Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Deputy Helen McEntee  asked the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn if he will give an assurance to all those affected by Down syndrome that the awaited National Council for Special Education report on whether Down syndrome should be reclassified as a low-incidence disability in all incidents regardless of assessed cognitive ability will be examined and acted upon by his office promptly on receipt of the report

Minister for Education & Skill Ruairi Quinn Reply: 

The Deputy will be aware of this Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including children with Down syndrome, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. The policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, or where a special school or special class placement may be required to ensure such placements are provided for.

Pupils with Down syndrome attending mainstream schools may receive additional teaching support in primary schools, either under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, if the pupil’s educational psychological assessment places the pupil in the mild general learning disability/high incidence disability category, or through an allocation of individual additional resource teaching hours which are allocated by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), if the child is assessed as being within the low incidence category of special need, as defined by my Department’s Circular Sp Ed 02/05.

Pupils with Down syndrome may be allocated resources under the category of mild general learning disability, or under the categories of moderate general learning difficulty or Assessed Syndrome, in conjunction with another Low Incidence disability. There is not presently a distinct disability category of Down syndrome for resource allocation purposes.

I have asked the National Council for Special Education to provide me with policy advice on the issue of whether Down syndrome should be reclassified as a low incidence disability in all instances, regardless of assessed cognitive ability. This advice will be included in the NCSE’s comprehensive policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational needs which is currently in preparation and which is expected in the coming weeks. The position in relation to the implementation of any recommendations which may contained in the report will be considered once the report has been received by my Department.