A FIANNA Fail TD has accused the Government of failing to take significant action on integrating children with disabilities into the mainstream education system.
Ms Mary Wallace said that, although the Minister for Education had reallocated a large number of teaching posts this year, schools teaching children with disabilities had not benefited. In spite of a Government commitment to integration, there were only 39 resource teaching pasts in the country to support this policy.
As a result of the mainstream education continues to be unavailable to most children with disabilities who would benefit from being educated with their peers in their own community," Ms Wallace told a seminar on disability organised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) at the weekend.
Ms Mary Keogh, USI's disability rights officer, said many young people with disabilities were socially isolated and needed greater contact with their local communities.
"Existing social outlets for young people with disabilities and the rest of the community, such as sports clubs and drama groups should be encouraged to engage in the process of social change by encouraging participation, she said.
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