Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who is attending speech and language therapy at their current school and who has to leave the said school, will be facilitated in one of the schools in or around the vicinity of Mullingar; if same will be examined in order to allow them to enrol in such schools in September 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4809/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The pupil in question is currently enrolled in a special class for children with specific speech and language difficulties in the school referred to by the Deputy. My officials have been in contact with the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, whose local special educational needs organiser has advised that the enrolment meeting for this class will not take place until the end of April or early May. This meeting will determine whether this pupil is eligible to return to the class next September. If the pupil is not eligible to do so, the pupil may be accommodated in an alternative special class for children with speech and language difficulties in another school in the Mullingar area. This however, would be subject to the pupil meeting the necessary criteria and also the availability of a place in the class. The special educational needs organiser has advised that the admission meeting for both classes usually takes place on the same day.