Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue matter. I know it is an issue that has frustrated him for a significant amount of time and I believe he raised it on radio on Saturday. I know he has this particular family in mind when discussing the assistive technology scheme. I will talk about the assistive technology scheme in a little more detail. I am confident there will be a satisfactory resolution to this in the coming days.

I have spoken to both the NCSE and Department on the matter. I know they are in close contact with the family and with the school. The Deputy probably knows how this works in the sense that, if the school has the resources in the first instance to provide assistive technology, then it has a duty to do that, but if it does not, then it should approach the NCSE for bespoke equipment. As Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, I do not believe it makes sense that equipment will be given to a child with an additional need in circumstances where that equipment is not fit for purpose. The Deputy has said these two girls, aged nine and 11, are visually impaired. They have a rare genetic disorder. There is no point in them having equipment they cannot use. I completely concur with his point in this regard. I am liaising closely with the NCSE and the Department on it.

The assistive technology scheme is a very useful tool for children with additional needs. Last year, 3,766 children availed of the scheme and, to date this year, 3,293 have availed of it. We allocated an extra €2 million in the budget for 2023 for the very circumstance the Deputy outlined. There obviously is a process there. Apart from what the Deputy has said, I am not entirely clear why this has fallen through the cracks. There could be miscommunication between the various parties. In the first instance there needs to be diagnosis - the Deputy has said the NCSE accepts that diagnosis - of a physical or communicative disability, followed by a recommendation and a professional assessment. There is then a liaising with the special educational needs organiser, SENO, and the NCSE, who will review the criteria and then a recommendation is made to the Department as to the level of grant to be provided. The NCSE through the SENOs is responsible for processing the applications. It is very important to me, as Minister of State with responsibility for special education, that these children would be looked after. I know they have been working closely with the school and the NCSE on it in recent days.

Last April, the Department announced the digital strategy for schools to 2027 with €200 million committed over the period of the strategy. Already €50 million of that has already been provided to schools. This approach facilitates multi-annual planning by schools to allow them to plan effectively for all their children. The NCSE, the Department and the SENOs need to work very closely together with the visiting teacher service which the Deputy mentioned to provide equipment that is of value to these children with additional needs.

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