Call for special need supports at lower age during preschool
Support for children with special needs should kick in when they begin preschool, a Fine Gael Minister said as he called for a lower starting age in education.
Senator Tony Mulcahy is calling on the Minister for Education to lower the legal starting age in the education system, saying that as things stand, children are missing out on vital supports.
He said there are too many departments and agencies involved in offering the support services, rather than a streamlined service, and that those services should be offered at pre-school level.
"The Department of the Environment [supports] the preschools themselves, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Department of Education would be providing supports, and the HSE, primarily through enable Ireland, provide the SNA support," he said.
"As you can see, [we have] four different departments meddling around in what should be one streamlined service."
Senator Mulcahy is asking the Minister for Education to reduce the age to three, to include youngsters who require special needs assistance in class.
He said they are currently only getting six hours a week of SNA support instead of 15, meaning they stay at home three days of the week.
