Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that courses provided by the Dyslexia Association of Ireland which are an essential resource for children with dyslexia seeking to successfully complete State examinations are very costly for parents; and if she will consider increasing the grant support to the association in order to assist parents. [20267/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has provided annual funding of €63,500 to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland since 1999. This funding has helped the association to operate an information service for members and the public. Part of this funding has assisted in meeting the costs associated with the attendance of some children from disadvantaged backgrounds at workshops and programmes organised by the association.

My Department has received representations from certain branches of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland expressing concern at the costs of running the workshops. My Department is in communication with the association at central level for its funding requirements. My Department has developed an information resource pack on dyslexia on CD-ROM, DVD and video format, in association with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. This product has now been made available to all primary and post-primary schools. The DVD and video will provide support for parents of pupils with dyslexia while the CD-ROM will assist teachers who are teaching children with dyslexia in the mainstream classroom. These new materials will help and support parents and teachers to understand and respond to the educational needs of children with dyslexia.

Provision of resources to address the learning difficulties of children with low levels of achievement in reading has been given a very high priority by my Department. Last month, I announced that 660 additional special needs teaching posts will be put in place in primary schools from next September to cater for the needs of pupils with high incidence special needs, including pupils with dyslexia. Every primary school will be allocated resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures to cater for this pupil cohort.

One in five of the teachers in primary schools is allocated for the support of children with special educational needs. My Department also provides funding to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers to assist pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with dyslexia, with their education where such equipment is recommended by relevant professionals. Schools can apply to the local special educational needs organiser directly for this support. Training is available through the 21 teacher education centres nationally for teachers using ICT and assisting technologies to support pupils with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia.

At second level, each school in the free education scheme or block grant scheme with an enrolment of fewer than 600 recognised pupils, excluding pupils on post-leaving certificate programmes, receives an allocation of 0.5 of a learning support post. Schools with an enrolment of 600 such pupils and more receive a full learning support post. The Department also allocates resource teacher posts and special needs assistant posts to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for pupils with special needs, including pupils with dyslexia.

There are a total of 528 remedial-learning support teachers, 620 guidance posts and 1,388 whole-time equivalent resource teachers in place. Additional special support services are being made available on an ongoing basis in response to identified needs. A further 100 posts will be allocated for guidance from the commencement of the 2005-06 school year. Second level pupils with specific learning disability are normally integrated into mainstream classes. In such situations, they may receive additional tutorial support through the remedial teacher, guidance counsellor and subject teacher. Depending on the degree of the condition, they may also be eligible for special arrangements in the certificate examinations.