State must support all children

YESTERDAY was a time of excitement for thousands of children who entered a new phase of their young lives as schools opened across the country.

But in marked contrast, it was a time of despair for some of Ireland’s most vulnerable children, including Down’s Syndrome victims, who have been shamefully abandoned by the Department of Education just months after the Special Olympics. Bringing much kudos to this country, the event created a misleading impression that the Coalition cares for disadvantaged people.

For five-year-old Lily Mullen, attending school for the first time yesterday was a very unsettling experience because there was no special needs assistant (SNA) in the class to help her through the day.