7 October 1999 Edition

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Minister backs out on disabled children

By Michael Pierse

The Chairperson of Parents for Integration (PFI), Finian McGrath, has slammed the failure of Education Minister Mícheál Mairtín to implement his promises for disabled children.

PFI, which represents the families of 500 disabled children nationwide, has criticised the decision of the minister to block a deal agreed before the summer for backup support for disabled children attending mainstream schools. ``For the last eight years, the families have been lobbying on this issue. Just before the summer, the minister decided that children with disabilities would be provided with adequate services. We are talking about children with Downs' syndrome, children with physical disabilities, visually impaired children, and other children with special needs.

``After years of campaigning, the minister said `I think you're right, you have a point - there's no excuse with the Celtic Tiger and the economy booming'. So we were told we would get between 10-15 hours per week. A teacher would come into the school, help the class teacher and work with the child. The minister gave a commitment that he was prepared to provide these in schools where they were needed.''

Disabled children now attending mainstream schools are not provided with any backup services, McGrath explained. ``Ann Marie McGinnis, for example, is a child going to Scoil Aine in Raheny. She's deaf and in second class. The school has been asking the Department for six months and even said that `if it's after the Summer we'll wait'. She has been in that scool for over a month. with no backup services. The school are very angry and very hurt, as are her parents and her family.''

The PFI says that inclusive education is better for disabled children in the long run. ``Our philosophy,'' McGrath explained ``is that we support inclusive education, where possible. We believe that children with disabilities should be included in mainstream schools. We have found that they get on better when integrated in mainstream schools. That has been proved academically and the Department of Education and Science has accepted that.

``People suffering from disabilities always resent having been shipped off to these schools 20-30 years ago. Can anybody in the government tell me the sense in sending two deaf children from Athlone to a service in Cabra in Dublin on a Sunday night - crying in the station - and they have to go home on a Friday evening. Five and six year old kids. I mean, can people tell me that's good for the kids, good for education? And also the expense of it as well, as opposed to putting the service in Athlone, in their own community. Their educational needs and literacy needs are being ignored.''

The minister has said he's investigating the issue. However, the PFI has said that it will take its campaign to the streets if swift action is not taken.

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