Jackie Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the provision of a full-time special needs assistant for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24368/04]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that my Department has received an application for special needs assistant support for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. The National Educational Psychological Service has recommended five hours special needs assistant support per week for the pupil in question. Evidence provided in supporting documentation does not meet criteria for allocation of a full-time SNA under the terms of circular 07/02.

My Department's inspectorate has evaluated the case. The advice provided is that the school should deploy its two existing full-time SNAs in a flexible manner to meet the needs of all the pupils with special care needs in the school, including the pupil in question. My Department officials have notified the school authorities of the outcome of the application.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be given a full-time special needs assistant; and if they will receive extra hours help. [24382/04]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply to my Department for additional teaching support for the pupil. My Department allocates additional teaching support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and vocational educational committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Each application is considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the pupils involved and the nature and level of support provided is determined on the advice of the psychological service. The school concerned has been allocated seven hours per week additional teaching support and also five hours per week special needs assistant support for the 2004-05 school year to cater for the special educational needs of a number of pupils including the pupil to which the Deputy refers.

The level of resource teaching allocated to the school in question by my Department was determined after detailed consideration of the school's application, the supporting documentation provided, including the recommendations made by National Educational Psychological Service, and having regard to the overall level of resources already available to the school to address special needs issues. If the school authority is of the view that its existing approved allocation is incapable of addressing the current level of assessed special needs, including those of the pupil in question, within the school, my Department will be prepared to consider the school's case.