Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 859: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason resources for special needs children attending a school (details supplied) in County Limerick have been progressively eroded; the reason a person (details supplied), who is being admitted to the school in September 2006, is being refused special assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14932/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been operational since 1 January 2005, and is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs, SEN, supports.

My officials have been advised by the NCSE that the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, has received a number of applications from the school for resources for pupils with special educational needs including the pupil whose details were advised by the Deputy. In considering the applications, the SENO will arrange to visit the school to ascertain the level of support required by the school in the context of all the applications.

The NCSE has also advised that the level of special needs assistant support in the school was reduced last year due to the fact that the pupils for whom such support had been sanctioned had matured and had developed independent coping skills.