Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the new system for the allocation of resources to children with special educational needs will be introduced as planned in September 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12967/05]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she plans to introduce a system of weighted allocation for children with special educational needs from September 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12961/05]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 394: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes she will be making to the weighted system for the allocation of resources for children with special educational needs, due to be introduced in September 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13327/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 143, 152 and 394 together.

In light of the reality that pupils in the high incidence disability categories of mild and borderline mild general learning disability and dyslexia are distributed throughout the education system, my Department, in consultation with educational interests, developed a general model of resource teacher allocation to schools to support students in these disability categories. This model, which was announced by my predecessor in 2004 to come into effect from September 2005, was designed to put in place a permanent resource in primary schools to cater for pupils in these categories. The model was constructed so that allocations would be based on pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this regard.

The advantages of using a general allocation model are as follows: it facilitates early intervention as the resource is in place in the school when the child enrols; it reduces the need for individual applications and supporting psychological assessments; it puts resources in place on a more systematic basis, thereby giving schools more certainty about their resource levels; it gives more security to special education teaching posts and makes special education teaching a more attractive option; it allows flexibility to school management in the deployment of resources, leading to a more effective and efficient delivery of services.

I have made it clear that while I am in favour of using a general allocation model for the reasons I have just given, I am conscious of the particular difficulties that the model announced last year could cause for small and rural schools if implemented as originally announced. For this reason I asked my Department to conduct a review of the model announced last year. This review is currently being finalised and I expect to make an announcement in this regard shortly.