David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 487: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a blind child (details supplied) who had the assistance of a full time special needs assistant in primary school will continue to have this essential support in her current second level school; the reason it took from March 2004 to December 2005 for her Department to partially respond to the urgent needs of this student; if she will ensure that a full-time assistant is now made available as a matter of extreme urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3797/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply for additional teaching support and-or special needs assistant support for the pupil.

My Department allocates additional teaching support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Each application is considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the pupil(s) involved and having regard to a range of factors including the overall resources available to the school. An application for additional teaching support and special needs assistant support for a number of pupils including the pupil referred to by the Deputy was received in my Department on 21 June 2004 . The school authority was notified of the outcome of this application on 24 September 2004. Subsequently an appeal was received in my Department on 12 October 2004 and the school authority was notified of the outcome of this appeal on 1 November 2004.

My Department has approved an allocation of 75.62 hours teaching support per week and 45 hours special needs assistant support per week to the school in question to cater for the special educational needs of a number of pupils, including the pupil to which the Deputy refers. The level of support allocated was determined after detailed consideration of the school's application, the supporting documentation provided 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 the existing approved allocation is incapable of addressing the current level of assessed special needs within the school and additional information to that already submitted becomes available, my Department will be prepared to reconsider the case.