Inclusion Ireland

One million students and staff return to classrooms as schools fully reopen

Department kept dossiers for use in legal cases, RTÉ documentary to report

Autism charity criticises ‘half-baked’ plans for phased return to in-person teaching

Groups say online lessons do not translate into adequate education for all children

Parents worry that limited return to class may be even more disruptive for children

Department and Fórsa union issue contradictory statement over reopening plans

Agreement reached with unions over phased return of vulnerable children to classrooms

Advocacy groups say move is a ‘significant step’ in the right direction

Foley to meet advocacy groups amid fears school closures could last months

Government has scrapped plans for special education to resume on Monday due to Covid-19

Thousands of vulnerable children regressed and lost key skills during the last school shutdown

Ombudsman says blanket closure of schools is ‘not a viable option’

Survey finds many have reduced access to SNAs due to Covid-19 restrictions

Wheelchair association says 77% of people with disabilities face problems using public pavements, parking and pedestrian crossings

Inclusion Ireland critical of Hiqa reports noting disability experience in residential care

Many people with disabilities ‘depressed and regressing’ in absence of supports

Infectious diseases expert will emphasise rapid testing and contact tracing

Disability groups to tell Covid-19 committee of children excluded from summer supports

Rising concern over vulnerable children losing key skills due to school closures

Council says it does not operate supervised playgrounds so will not be reopening facilities

Campaigners express alarm that plans could exclude thousands of vulnerable children

As the life-saving restrictions begin to loosen, collateral damage is a growing concern

Number of outbreaks in disability centres triples to 82 in two-week period

Number of disability centres grappling with clusters of disease nearly triple in two weeks

More than 1,200 parents over the age of 70 acting as primary carers of adult children

‘We cannot continue with business as usual’, coalition of advocacy groups says

Inclusion Ireland says Ireland may be in breach of several international rights covenants

Too many children are unable to get full-time primary and secondary school places

Almost 500 special needs children are in receipt of home tuition because they do not have a school place. Is the problem set to get even worse?

Campaigners say vulnerable pupils excluded from education through short school days

Minister stops short of taking new steps to monitor or restrict the practice

One in four children with disabilities and behaviour issues are on curbed timetables

Traveller cross-party group says audit needed on schools’ use of limited hours

Conor Dillon says Government decision is ‘discriminating’ against him

Warning from the Oireachtas Committee on Education contained in first statutory report on the issue

Some children with behavioural problems face school day of just an hour a day

Social Democrats launch disability manifesto as candidate highlights library inaccessibility

Oireachtas committee to hear from Traveller and special needs groups of ‘growing crisis’

Barnardos, Inclusion Ireland and Irish Traveller Movement slate State-wide trend

Minister warns proposed changes to Dublin’s bus network poses challenges for many people