Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue. I raise the issue of two girls, aged nine and 11, who urgently require access to assistive technology for the visually impaired so they can access a full education. As the Minister of State is aware from previous correspondence, despite extensive difficulties relating to their vision, both girls have a difficulty in accessing the assistive technology they require as a result of their visual impairment. These young girls have been denied the support they need because they cannot get a visiting teacher to sign off on the request for this equipment because it is being claimed by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, that these girls do not have access to a visiting teacher. When we pointed out that they previously had access to a visiting teacher, the response was that they only received that access informally. The claim is being made that the access to the visiting teacher was never officially provided.

The family was never informed that this was not officially provided, and the freedom of information file contradicts this position. They have engaged with a visiting teacher on an ongoing basis and a visiting teacher had access to medical reports etc., but now when they need a signature, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is claiming the support to date was unofficial and, as a result, the vital equipment cannot now be authorised. Despite a wealth of paperwork and reports being submitted clearly showing the support provided to both children by the visiting teacher, it has been claimed this was "informal support that was given in an informal fashion". Both of these children have received access from the visiting teacher for the visually impaired since they were toddlers.

The visiting teacher went to their home, carried out assessments, gave advice, wrote reports for the school and provided support in preschool. Yet they are still being asked to believe this access was informal. Even if we did accept that, which we do not, why should this in some way prevent them from accessing the support they clearly need? These children have been assessed by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, NCBI, as requiring specific technology for the visually impaired and cannot function in school without this specific support. The NCSE accepts these visually impaired children need assistive technology to function in school, but the family is being urged to accept assistive technology appropriate for children with dyslexia rather than that for children with a visual impairment.

How can anyone stand over a situation where the necessary technology which would vastly improve the day-to-day school life for these children is being refused? An application for assistive technology for the visually impaired was submitted 14 months ago for visual equipment, but that application has sat there since because of the failure to sign off by a visiting teacher. The Minister of State has told me in her replies that the family can still access the support of the visiting teacher but just did not get a signature. Instead, the State is prepared to spend public money to provide basic assistive technology equipment, which is not fit for purpose for these children, both of whom have being diagnosed with a rare genetic condition. The State's failure to provide appropriate assistive technology now results in these children being unable to access the full curriculum, a basic right for every child in this country.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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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.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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This is not a reflection on the Minister of State, but a reflection on her officials and the response she has given me. I gave notice two weeks ago. This issue was selected two weeks ago for response. It is a very specific case. I gave the correspondence reference in the Topical Issue notice I gave. I expected a detailed response on this particular case. The Minister of State is correct that yesterday the principal of the school and the mother were contacted, 14 months after the applications went in. It is not good enough. It should not require me to bring it to the floor of the House for that engagement to take place, with the issue having been selected two weeks ago. I take the point the Minister of State made and I will give her the benefit of the doubt on it. I want specific progress in getting this issue addressed.

The National Council for Special Education is saying there was no formal engagement with the visiting teacher. I want to put on the public record here that in February 2016, the then visiting teacher - I have a letter on Department-headed notepaper dated February 2016 in the name of the visiting teacher - produced a report for the 11-year-old girl just before she started in primary school with the diagnosis and everything. It specifically states in black and white that this young girl is eligible for the visiting teacher for visually impaired support. The second last sentence of the letter states, "I will be liaising with the school and home supporting this girl in my role as [visiting teacher for the visually impaired] VTVI who can also contact me as needed." That is not any informal engagement. These children deserve the equipment that has been recommended for them to receive and I want to see that happen.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I can clearly hear the Deputy's passion in advocating on behalf of these children. I reiterate what I said earlier that I am very confident - I can only push it so far - that there will be a satisfactory resolution to this. I have personally spoken to the NCSE and the Department on this. I am encouraged and glad to hear there was a conversation yesterday with the principal and with the mother which indicates there is movement already on this. I do not doubt the Deputy's bona fides regarding the correspondence he outlined.

Having such an assistive technology scheme will be of no benefit if we are not providing equipment that is bespoke to a particular child. It needs to be particular to the child who has an additional need. Having said that, there are many types of equipment already in existence. There are audiological supports for hearing improvements, there is brain equipment and there is computer equipment with modified software for physical or severe communicative disabilities. There is a range of equipment.

We will need to update over the next number of years the type of assistive technology and that is under review also. There will be consultation around that from the first quarter of next year, because technology is moving at pace. Even the assistive technology that we have now will probably need to be updated in years to come in order to be able to assist children to communicate. I say this because this is a matter of communication at the end of the day, as well as of whatever additional needs a child may have. If that assistive technology equipment is going to assist them in communicating, then there is an onus on us to provide for that. The funding is there. There is an extra €2 million the budget, as I have said. I want to reassure the Deputy that I will do everything that I can to make sure that there is a satisfactory conclusion to this issue for him. I thank him for his advocacy.