Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department obtains information from the Health Service Executive or other State Department or body with regard to the numbers of children born or later diagnosed with special needs each year with a view to planning for the educational needs of those children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4949/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of appropriate special educational services for children with special educational needs is the responsibility of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. Under section 41 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, the NCSE is obliged to keep and maintain records for the purpose of identifying persons to whom special educational and support services are being provided, identifying schools and other places where such services are provided to persons with special educational needs and planning the provision of special educational and support services.

Furthermore, under subsection 2 of this section the NCSE is obliged to the greatest extent practicable, to co-ordinate its system of record-keeping with the systems of record-keeping maintained by health boards and any other relevant public bodies.