Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science on the matter referred to by the Deputy.

St. Marnock's national school in Portmarnock currently has the services of one principal, nine mainstream teachers, one learning support teacher, one resource teacher and one special class teacher. The enrolment of the school stands at 262. Special classes for children with specific speech and language disorders are established where a need has been identified and supported by up-to-date psychological and speech therapy reports in respect of the children in question. Each class caters for a maximum of seven children and each class requires the services of a speech therapist. The speech therapy service is provided by the Health Service Executive. The school currently has a special class for speech and language disorder. There will be seven pupils enrolled in the class in September 2005 and, therefore, there is no available spare capacity in this class for additional pupils.

I can confirm that correspondence has been received in the Department of Education and Science from the parents of three children with speech and language disorders requesting that an additional class for specific speech and language disorder be established.

The Deputy may be aware that the National Council for Special Education, which became operational on 1 January 2005, processes applications for special educational needs supports, including requests for the establishment of special classes. The council has a key role in the development and delivery of services for persons with special educational needs, including children with speech and language disorders. The council has a local area presence through a network of 71 special educational needs organisers.

I understand from the Department of Education and Science that the council has not received any application for the establishment of an additional class for speech and language disorder from St. Marnock's national school to date. However, following from the correspondence received from parents, the Department will make contact with the school with a view to ensuring that these children's needs can be met in St. Marnock's, if possible, or in other suitable premises.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy and I thank him again for the opportunity to give an update on the current position in regard to the need for a special needs class at St. Marnock's national school. The school had not sent the application to the proper section. I accept it is a new process that only came into place this year.

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