Education The decision by the Department of Education and Science to refuse 15 disabled students places in its "Summer July Programme" has been strongly criticised by Independent TD Mr Finian McGrath.
This programme was introduced following the O'Donoghue court judgement in 1997. Paul O'Donoghue was a child with severe/profound disability. The programme aims to extend the school term for disabled students during the month of July and therefore help combat educational regression over the summer period.
Mr McGrath has expressed dismay at the decision to exclude the pupils from a school in Sandymount, Dublin. He asked the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, to reconsider the matter.
"I am very concerned that the Department of Education and Science can discriminate between categories of special needs and offer July programmes to some and not to others as minister I am asking you to reconsider this decision for the sake of our unfortunate children and families," he said.
According to the Department these 15 pupils from the Enable Ireland School in Sandymount cannot be included because they do not fall into the appropriate categories.
The school's principal Mr Brendan Hennigan said continuous education was important for the well being of these students. "School is everything to them, it gives structure to their life, when they leave school for the summer they fall into a depression, this can be very hard on the students and parents," he said.