Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 534: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of children in each primary school in County Tipperary who have been identified as needing speech and language therapy services in the past four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31566/05]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 535: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of children in each primary school in County Tipperary who have been offered speech and language therapy services in each of the past four years; the number of children awaiting the preparation of a speech and language report in primary schools in the county; the number on waiting lists for a speech and language service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31567/05]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 536: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of speech and language therapists employed by her Department providing services for primary school children; the number of therapists responsible for County Tipperary schools; her plans to recruit additional therapists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31568/05]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 534 to 536, inclusive, together.

My Department does not hold details on the number of children who have been identified as needing speech and language therapy services in each primary school in County Tipperary, the number who have been offered speech and language therapy services, the number of children awaiting the preparation of a speech and language report or the number of children on waiting lists for a speech and language service.

The provision of therapy services for people with disabilities, including speech therapy, is a matter for the Health Services Executive and funding is provided to the HSE for such purposes. My Department does not employ speech therapists for the delivery of speech therapy services to schools or determine the children that should receive these services and therefore would not have details on the number of therapists responsible for schools in County Tipperary. The recruitment of therapists is a matter for the HSE.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 537: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the crisis in speech therapy and psychological services in primary schools in County Tipperary; her proposals to improve the speech therapy and psychological services in same. [31569/05]

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

As the Deputy will be aware, the provision of therapy services for people with disabilities, including speech therapy, is a matter for the Health Services Executive and funding is provided to the HSE for such purposes. My Department does not employ speech therapists for the delivery of speech therapy services to schools or determine the children that should receive these services.

The number of national educational psychological service, NEPS, psychologists has increased almost threefold, from 43 on establishment to 123 at present. All schools in County Tipperary have access to psychological assessments for their pupils, either directly through NEPS psychologists or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, which is administered by NEPS. Schools that do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. Details of this process and the conditions that apply to the scheme are available on my Department's website. NEPS provides assistance to all schools that suffer from critical incidents, regardless of whether they have a NEPS psychologist assigned to them. In relation to all schools, NEPS processes applications for reasonable accommodation in certificate examinations.

The Public Appointments Service has recently established new recruitment panels for NEPS. Regional panels are now in place and this will enable my Department to give priority to filling vacancies in areas of greatest need. Any increase in the number of psychologists in NEPS will depend on the availability of resources and must also take account of Government policy on public sector numbers.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 538: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if an establishment day has been appointed for the purposes of sections 19 and 36 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004; if so, the relevant dates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31670/05]

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

The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act was enacted in July 2004. On 14 July 2005 establishment day orders were signed in respect of sections 19 and 36 of the Act. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (Establishment Day) (Section 19) Order 2005, SI 508 of 2005, set 1 October 2005 as the establishment day for the National Council for Special Education. The Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (Establishment Day) (Section 36) Order 2005, SI 509 of 2005, set 3 April 2006 as the establishment day for the Special Education Appeals Board.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 539: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if all sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, including the right to an assessment of need and an education plan, are legally operational; if not, when she expects that they will be operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31671/05]

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

The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act was enacted in July 2004. On 14 July 2005 sections 1, 2, 14(1)(a), 14(1)(c), 14(2) to 14(4), 19 to 37, 40 to 44 and 50 to 53 of the Act were commenced. Separate establishment day orders were made in respect of the National Council for Special Education and the Special Education Appeals Board, setting their establishment dates as 1 October 2005 and 3 April 2006 respectively. A further commencement order was signed to commence sections 45 to 49 with effect from 1 October 2005 abolishing the council established under section 54 of the Education Act 1998 and replacing it with the council established under the 2004 Act. These sections could not come into effect prior to the establishment of the new council under section 19 of the 2004 Act.

The remaining sections relate mainly to the statutory assessment and education plan process for which the Act provides. These cannot come into effect without the council having an opportunity to present an implementation report to the Minister which it must do before 1 October 2006. On 21 October 2005 the National Council for Special Education published a call for submissions in the national media on the implementation of the Act. The closing date for submissions is 13 January 2006 and should the Deputy wish to advise any interested groups on the suggested format in which submissions can be made, there is information available on this from the council.