Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 1217: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the disparity between students with learning and other disabilities attending post-primary schools in north and south west Clondalkin and those in the Clondalkin village and Lucan areas. [40178/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The enrolment of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs, is a matter in the first instance for schools, parents and guardians. The Education Act 1998 requires all schools to have in place an admissions policy, detailing admission to, and participation by, students with disabilities or who have other special educational needs. The Act also requires schools to ensure that as regards that policy the principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents' choice are respected.

My Department provides a range of supports for all schools to enable them to welcome students with special educational needs. My Department allocates additional teacher support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and VECs to cater for students with special educational needs. The nature and level of support provided in each case is based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual student.

The level of resources being made available to support students with special educational needs in the second level system has grown significantly in recent years. In the current school year, my Department has allocated approximately 1,639 whole-time equivalent teachers and 1,082 special needs assistants to second level schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. This represents an increase of approximately 250 teaching posts and 450 special needs assistant posts on the previous school year.

Under section 29 of the Education Act 1998, parents of a student who has been refused enrolment in a school may appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Such appeals are dealt with within 30 days of their receipt and where an appeal is upheld the Secretary General is empowered to direct the school to enrol the student.

With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over key functions from my Department in regard to special educational provision. I am confident that the advent of the NCSE will prove of major benefit in ensuring that all children with special educational needs receive the support they require, when and where they require it.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 1218: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if schools have been surveyed to ascertain their experiences with the delivery of speech therapy services; if her attention has been drawn to the reports from many schools (details supplied) that pupils are being forced to pay privately; and if she will review the relationship with the Health Service Executive regarding the delivery of this vital educational support. [40181/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has not undertaken a survey of schools in relation to the provision of speech therapy services. The provision of therapy services for people with disabilities, including speech therapy, is a matter for the Health Service Executive, HSE to which funding is provided for such purposes. My Department does not employ speech therapists for the delivery of speech therapy services to schools or determine the children who should receive these services. In the circumstances, the provision of speech therapy should be raised with the local HSE office by the school in question.