Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, to the House.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming in this morning. I have put in a couple of Commencement matters that involved his Department and he has been very gracious. I appreciate him coming in to answer this today. I met a lady two weeks ago who was looking for some help with her daughter, who is ten years of age and has been diagnosed with dyslexia. The psychologist recommended that she get a laptop for school but she was refused by the special educational needs organiser, SENO. When I asked why, I was told that apparently you need an IQ of 90 for a laptop for school, and she had an IQ of 89. I could not believe what I was hearing and that this was actually the case. I thought surely, we cannot be getting things like this so wrong. The mam, as the Minister of State can imagine, wanted to even buy the laptop for the school but was told it was not going to do her any good when the child gets to secondary school and that it had to come through the scheme. The school could see that the child needed the laptop as well.

I had a look into the issue, and according to Circular 10/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment which are required for educational purposes. All equipment provided under the scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment. To qualify for equipment under the assistive technology scheme, a student must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential to allow the students to access the curriculum. We are ticking the boxes here so far. SENOs will review the application and professional reports provided in support of same, to establish whether the criteria of the scheme have been met. I assume this is were the IQ of 90 criterion comes in. The SENOs will then make a recommendation to the Department as to whether assistive technology is required. Based on this recommendation, the Department will decide on the level of grant, if any, to be provided. I took that from the Department.

This says to the mother that her child has to be more clever than she is to get this equipment. Maybe her daughter might have scored 90 and not 89 if she did the test the next day. The mother is so frustrated about this. However, it turns out, after a bit of research, that a new assistive technology circular was due in the first quarter of this year. It has not come out yet. It will give the power to the school. The Department aims to shift the scheme from a diagnosis-based approach to a needs-based approach, which is music to many parents' ears, granting schools greater autonomy in determining whether a child requires assistive technology to access the curriculum. That seems like something we need to get done now. It is great that the Department has recognised this, done the work on it and can see that it is what needs to be done in schools. I am calling for this to happen now. Let us ease the pressure on parents and on this mam who cannot access a laptop for her daughter. I know the school is advocating for her. The circular was due in quarter 1. Can we please find out when this new circular is going to come out, in order that the schools can help all the children get their laptops to help them learn at school and be the same as all their classmates?

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising the issue and for her engagement in special education. It is hugely important that public representatives at all levels are engaged with the education system. It is only by the information they are getting from families and parents that we can challenge the system on it. We are committed to specialised education, which is hugely important in getting children to reach their full potential. For me, the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the entire Government, it is to make sure we can deliver.

The assistive technology scheme supplements the overall funding provided to schools for digital technology and equipment and supports children who require essential specialised equipment to access the school curriculum. Assistive technology is a critical enabler for students with special educational needs, allowing them to benefit fully from the modern, technological-focused education system. The Department recognises the significant benefit of assistive technology in school settings, particularly for students with complex needs, and including children with visual and hearing impairments. It supports access to the curriculum, participation in classroom learning and positive educational outcomes. Under the assistive technology scheme, as it stands under the circular the Senator cited, Circular 10/13, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialised equipment required for education purposes. The student must have a diagnosis of a physical or communicative disability and a professional assessment confirming the equipment is essential. Between January and the end of April 2026, almost 3,700 applications for assistive technology had been received and these are progressing as a matter of priority.

In recognition of the need to improve the applications and the delivery, a review of the assistive technology scheme is now in its final stages. That goes to the point the Senator made. The review will culminate in the publication of a new circular, which is expected to be announced in the next number of months. That is the key point and based on the Senator's engagement with the family she mentioned and her understanding of the education system as a whole, it is important that we come to that without delay. I will take from the Senator's Commencement matter that we will work on that to make sure we can bring out the circular as soon as possible.

The Senator outlined her contact with the family and referred to dates, circulars and much else. We have to be child- and family-focused. The whole of government and every Department need to have a robust system in place to ensure we are reaching those who are most in need.The review is ongoing. It a matter that has been raised continuously by me and others within the Department to make sure that new circular is in place. As part of that review, a new streamlined application process is also being developed because, as the Senator will know, a lot of families who are looking for specialised education for their children or their students are always exasperated by the amount of form-filling and box-ticking that has to be done in relation to it. These changes are to make sure that there is a responsive, effective and child-centred scheme.

Ultimately, as regards the Senator's contribution, the review and those documents were to be over the first quarter, but we will endeavour to make sure that is done in as timely a manner as possible in order that we can support children going into the 2026-27 school year.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response and for outlining the fact that 3,600 assistive technology supports have come out this year. I am a little disappointed that we do not have the date for it. I appreciate that the Department is at the final stages of the report. I really was hoping to get a date this morning but I hope and I think the Minister of State probably can guarantee me that we will have it for the start of the school year in September. Maybe we can get it out in July or August in order that schools can get the funding and can know the children who are coming in in September. The schools know every child inside out and will know which children need it.

We should bear in mind that man whose child had an IQ of 89 and not 90. That one point will make a difference to her. The child is ten years of age. She is in fourth class and has only two years left at school. Emotionally, it is hard for the family. They would really appreciate knowing that their daughter, going into fifth class, will have access to a laptop. Right now they do not. We are going through the appeals process on it at the moment. I hope we will be successful on it but for her and for other children, time is of the essence here. I think the Minister of State recognises that, judging by his response, and I appreciate that.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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We will endeavour to have that circular in operation for September 2026. It is important as we face the school year. I think a lot of students are looking forward to the holidays. We should not be talking about September. Certainly, when I was going to school, I thought September was sometime off in the Middle Ages. Families are looking at what is the best earlier in the year. They know the limitations and the challenges their children have in school, they are looking at how best they can support their children and they are reaching out to the school authorities. We, as the Department, and all of us as partners in education, have to make sure we have as streamlined a process as possible. We did an extensive review of it to make sure that we were covering all bases in it.

As regards the issue the Senator raised, she mentioned she had an appeal in. If we can take it offline and see whether there is anything, we will do that. Overall, we are committed to ensuring that every child reaches their full potential within the education system. We have a huge amount of work done and a lot of work we need to do to make sure that we are taking the anomalies and challenges out of the system, whereby someone is just marginally at one side or the other of the line for the accommodation of that. I will commit to making sure that the new circular which governs this will be done as speedily as possible. Also, if there is any assistance we can give in relation to the existing one, we would be more than willing to help.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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That is much appreciated.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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The Minister who is to take the next Commencement matter is not here. We understand he is on his way. It is a last-minute changeover. I ask the Acting Leader to move a suspension of the House until 10.55 a.m.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I propose a suspension of the House until 10.55 a.m.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome the students and teachers from Leamlara national school, who are guests of Deputy James O'Connor. You are very welcome to the House. We are now engaging with Commencement matters, during which a number of topics are taken each day and relevant Ministers to those topics come in, so here we have the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. Enjoy your day.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House.