John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 634: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the facilities, services and special centres of education which are available to children with dyslexia; her views on the institution in Belfast (details supplied); if there is a similar body here or if pupils can be referred to or linked into services it provides; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33087/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The 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. 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 specific learning disability, dyslexia and children with learning support needs.

There are now more than 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with learning support and special educational needs. This compares with fewer than 1,500 in 1998. One out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs, including with dyslexia. Where the condition of a pupil with dyslexia is of a more serious nature, provision can be made in one of the four special schools or 23 special classes attached to ordinary primary schools and dedicated to the needs of children with dyslexia. All special schools and special classes for such children operate at a reduced pupil-teacher ratio of 9:1.

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. 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. Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply to the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, an official of the National Council for Special Education, for additional teaching support or special needs assistant support for the pupil.

There are a total of 531 remedial or learning support teachers, 689 guidance posts and 1,599 whole-time equivalent resource teachers in place at post-primary level. My Department also provides funding to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers to assist children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia, with their education where such equipment is recommended by relevant professionals. Schools can apply to the local SENO directly for this support. Since the task force on dyslexia reported in 2001, a number of initiatives have been taken in the area of dyslexia, including the introduction of an on-line training course for teachers catering for pupils with dyslexia, the appointment of ten new learning support trainers to the primary curriculum support programme specifically to provide in-depth support for the implementation of learning support guidelines for children with dyslexia, and the development in association with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland of an information resource on dyslexia which is available in CD-ROM, DVD and video format.

My Department also provides funding to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. This grant helps the organisation operate an information service for members and the public and assists in meeting the costs associated with the attendance of some children from disadvantaged backgrounds at workshops and programmes organised by the association. My Department is continuing to prioritise the development of the network of special educational provision for children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia and I believe that the steps taken in recent years and those currently in hand represent significant progress in the development of those services.

I am aware of the centre referred to by the Deputy and I understand that it is a privately funded organisation, headquartered in the United States of America with a branch in Belfast. I am not aware of any similar organisation in the State or of any demand for the services provided by the organisation, so I do not propose to comment further on it.