Liam Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 474: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if special educational needs supports have been approved for a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if so, if resource or learning support will now be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [23498/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports. A total of 71 special educational needs organisers have been recruited throughout the country and are a focal point of contact for schools and parents. My officials have been advised by the NCSE that an application was received in February 2005, for resource teaching support for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. However, the local special educational needs organiser has expressed the opinion that the pupil in question falls within the high incidence disability categories and her needs therefore can be catered for from within the school's general allocation.

The general allocation for the school in question is 20 part time hours. It is a matter for each school to determine the pupils with high incidence special education and learning support needs that will receive this support. Each school will have enough resource teaching hours to provide its pupils with a level of support appropriate to their needs.

The school can then use its professional judgment to decide how these hours are divided between different children in the school, to ensure that all their needs are met. Research shows that some children with special needs will respond better with one-to-one tuition. Others do better when taught in small groups. Often, it is best for resource teachers to work with children in the classroom rather than taking them away to a separate room, as the children then have to catch up work done by the rest of the class in their absence. The point is that the type of response needed depends on the child.