A fifth-year student at St Clare's College in Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, Damien O'Reilly is severely disabled. Bernie O'Reilly, his mother, drives him to and from school each day. He has a personal assistant, Clare O'Reilly (not related) who helps him in class each day.

Having Damien as a pupil in this mainstream school is a bonus from many points of view, says principal Michael Callaghan. "There are benefits for both the students who want to have their education in their own locality and for the school. There's a great awareness in the school of people with disability. There's a great understanding and a tolerance and a willingness to help.

"To be totally honest, when Bernie O'Reilly came to me five years ago I nearly froze. I knew her son, Damien, and I knew the extent of his disability. I dreaded this but he's doing great. You wouldn't know he's around the place. You'd want to be here to see it."

Bernie O'Reilly represents children with physical disabilities on the National Parents' Council (PostPrimary). Parents want the right to choose where they send their children to school, she says. "Parents don't know what options are open to them. They're fighting their own individual battles. There are no guidelines for them."

Callaghan says St Clare's College now has "quite a bit of experience." Last year Emma Tracey came from a special school for the blind to start in first year. "Probably the whole thing wouldn't have worked without Damien's mother. She's the driving force. She makes it easy for us. We don't have to worry about feeding or toilets. She feeds Damien. She brings him home for lunch five days a week. We have to get back up from the Department.

"Clare O'Reilly is in the classroom all the time with him. So you see there's a sensitivity there. You have to be very careful about who you look for to do that job. It has had a good influence on his own class group. There's something special about that year."

Bernie O'Reilly explains: "It would have made such a difference if Damien had had a personal assistant from the start. It gave him a whole independence. Clare acts as his scribe. But Damien's PA only came three months into Junior Cert year."

Damien's mother recalls that, when he was five year old and saw his brother and sister going off to school, he refused to go to Dublin. "The prospect of living away from home is traumatic for children," she says. "You can imagine what it would be like sending him away at five. I can care for him. It was his own determination not to leave that made the difference."

So Damien went to Crosserlough National School outside Cavan with his brother and sister and their friends. Next year he will sit the Leaving Cert with the rest of his classmates.