Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 469: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons who have complained to her Department as a result of loss or change of services to children with special needs; and the number of persons who have appealed their child's allocation of help. [26293/05]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 470: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of children who have lost hours with regard to her comment in relation to special needs children that no child would lose their service; the number who have had a reduction or change in the service previously provided to them; and the number who have been affected by the changeover. [26294/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 469 and 470 together.

As the Deputy is aware, my Department announced the new general allocation system last May with a view to it being implemented in all primary schools with effect from the start of the current school year. The general allocation scheme is designed to ensure that each school has enough resource teaching hours to meet the needs of children with high incidence special needs, such as dyslexia and learning support needs. Resource teaching hours for children with low incidence special needs, such as hearing impairment, will continue to be provided on the basis of an individual application for each child.

In the intervening months, my officials have dealt with a significant level of queries in relation to the operation of the system in the form of both telephone calls and written correspondence. Their experience has been that while initial concerns were expressed by some schools as to the possible impact of the new model, these concerns were largely as a result of schools requiring further clarity in relation to their own particular situation. I add that this is not surprising given that the change from the previous allocation system to the general allocation system was indeed a major change and it was inevitable that schools would have a large number of queries as to how the new system would operate.

At this stage my officials are confident that initial difficulties that were experienced by some schools in relation to issues such as clustering arrangements and the creation of full-time posts by combining general allocation hours and low incidence hours have been resolved in the vast majority of cases. In many of these cases it was possible to adjust the clustering arrangements to rectify geographical difficulties or to sanction additional teaching posts where the number of hours allocated to the school warranted such posts.

Furthermore, my Department has recently issued a comprehensive circular, Sp Ed 02/05, to all primary schools regarding the organisation of teaching resources for pupils who need additional support in mainstream primary schools. The main purpose of this circular is to provide guidance for schools on the deployment and organisation of the teaching resources that were allocated under the general allocation model. Reference is also made in this circular to the deployment of additional teaching resources that are allocated to schools for the support of individual pupils with low incidence disabilities.

In introducing the general allocation system I also introduced transitional arrangements whereby transitional hours would be given to schools to cater for children that had previously been allocated individual teaching resources but which it would not be possible for the school to provide under their allocation under the general allocation model. In the circumstances no child should have experienced a loss of resource teaching hours.

As outlined in the circular 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. The school can 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, however, 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 type of response needed depends on the child. I am satisfied at this stage that the general allocation system is working well and has been generally favourably received by schools. My Department will continue to work with schools and the education partners with a view to ensuring that this remains the case going forward.