The Minister for Education Dr Michael Woods has published a bill governing the education of people with disabilities.
Minister Woods called for debate on the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill 2002 and an input into the legislation which deals with the educational rights of children with disabilities.
"I believe that this Bill, when enacted, will establish unequivocally that the special education needs of children must be met as a matter of legal right," said the Minister.
"In publishing the Bill in white form, I want to give everyone interested in the education of people with special educational needs an opportunity to debate my proposals and make an input into the legislation".
The Bill is intended to adopt a rights-based approach to education and to enable the parents of children with disabilities to enforce the right to education through a dedicated mediation and appeals system and, ultimately, if necessary, through the courts.
"Among the guiding principles for the legislation", the Minister said, "is the Government's view that a person with a disability has the same right and equal entitlement to avail of and benefit from education as a person who does not have a disability."
The Bill also provides for the education of a child with special educational needs up until the age of eighteen.
Last year, the Supreme Court upheld an appeal by the State against a High Court ruling that it was obliged to provide education to a 23-year-old autistic man, Jamie Sinnott, for as long as he could benefit from it.
