Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I will look into that matter for the Deputy. Public representatives on all sides of the House are petitioned by constituents who have genuine concerns about their children and the allocation of teaching hours. There are just under 10,500 special needs assistants in this country - the number is limited by the reserve - and they service approximately 18,000 pupils. It is a matter for schools to allocate those resources. The allocation of hours can change. It is not the case that there is a special needs assistant for every child with special needs in a school. The needs of such children vary as they develop and mature and their conditions change. That is not always part and parcel of the full picture. I will take into account what the Deputy has said. He has given me the details of the school in question.

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