Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 568: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 is entitled to extra support teaching hours to assist in view of their problem of dyslexia; and if she will give assurances that the school will have the necessary capacity to meet their needs for these additional hours during this phase of their education. [25012/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Second level pupils with a specific learning disability are normally integrated into mainstream classes. In such situations, they may receive additional tutorial support through the remedial teacher, guidance teacher or subject teacher. Depending on the degree of the condition, they may also be eligible for special arrangements in the Certificate Examinations.

There are a total of 532.5 remedial/learning support teachers and 684 guidance teachers to cater for pupils with specific learning disabilities.

My Department also allocates additional teacher support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and Vocational Education Committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with dyslexia. To qualify for such support, under this category, children must be assessed by a psychologist as being of average intelligence or higher and having a degree of learning disability specific to basic skills in reading, writing or mathematics which places them at or below the 2nd percentile on suitable, standardised, norm referenced tests. I understand the pupil referred to by the Deputy did not meet the above criteria for additional support.