Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in some cases the professional judgment of educational psychologists is being over-ruled in the determination of the support given to children with special learning needs in schools; if she will ensure that budgetary constraints on SENOs do not determine if a child is assigned appropriate support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13504/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased that the Deputy has given me the opportunity to confirm this Government's commitment to ensuring that children with special educational needs, SEN, will receive the supports they require to enable them to participate fully in the education system.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs supports such as resource teaching hours and special needs assistant, SNA, support for children with low-incidence SEN on the basis of applications in respect of individual pupils. The teaching and SNA support allocated are intended to enable schools to meet the needs of pupils as outlined in psychological and other reports.

In allocating additional teaching and SNA supports for individual pupils, the SENOs examine what teaching and other resources are available to these pupils within their school. The SENO also operates within the parameters of my Department's criteria for the allocation of such resources. This criteria is set out in my Department's circulars having regard to the recommendations of the Report of the Special Education Review Committee, 1993, also known as the SERC report.

Primary schools are also supported by means of a general allocation which provides additional teaching support to enable schools to cater for pupils with high incidence special educational needs, such as dyslexia, and those with low attainments. The system was constructed so that allocations would be based on certain pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this regard.

Second level schools continue to be supported by the allocation of additional teaching hours for each pupil enrolled who is assessed as having a special educational need. SNA support is allocated, as appropriate, to all schools where there are confirmed assessed care needs in respect of students.

Once a school has been advised of its general allocation and the SENO has allocated hours and SNA support, if appropriate, in respect of pupils with low-incidence SEN, it is a matter for the school authority to recruit the relevant staff.