Down Syndrome Ireland wholeheartedly welcomes the news that two High Court actions over the Minister for Education’s refusal to allow two young children with Down syndrome access the July Provision scheme have been settled.
We call on the Minister to accept the principle which has been established, and ensure that similar provision is made for other students with Down syndrome who need the extended school year this summer.
The issue has been on our agenda for some time. July Provision provides funding to extend the school year for children with autism and children with a severe or profound intellectual disability.
You can read the full details here:
We have campaigned some time for the programme to be made available to all children with Down syndrome. We believe that the settlement acknowledges the inequity of the scheme as it is currently applied. We call on the Department of Education & Skills to immediately address this by making similar provisions for all families affected.
DSI meeting with Minister for Education & Skills Joe McHugh
We are meeting with the Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh in early July to request clarity as to the Minister’s intentions regarding access to July Provision for children with Down syndrome in light of this settlement. We will continue to call on the Government to make the extended school year available in the future.
We congratulate the families involved for bringing forward the case and for having their voices heard.
We will keep you updated so please watch this space.
You can read more about our Please Don’t Leave Us Behind education campaign here.
