Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1257: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide this Deputy with the names and addresses of primary schools in Galway City and County with pupils with hearing impairment on their rolls on 31 July 2006; the number of pupils with hearing impairment attending each school; their ages and classes on 31 July 2006; the number of visiting teachers operating in this area on 31 July 2006; the Department's criteria for the appointment of a visiting teacher; and the educational criteria the Department uses to allocate a visiting teacher to an area. [28585/06]

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1258: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide this Deputy with the names and addresses of primary schools in counties Roscommon and Longford with pupils with hearing impairment on their rolls on 31 July 2006; the number of pupils with hearing impairment attending each school; their ages and classes on 31 July 2006; and the number of visiting teachers operating in this area on 31 July 2006. [28586/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1245, 1246, 1249, 1257 and 1258 together.

I wish to advise the Deputies that the specific information requested in respect of primary schools with pupils with hearing impairment in the counties mentioned is not readily available to my Department.

The position regarding the visiting teacher service on 31 July 2006 is that there were two visiting teachers supporting children/students with hearing impairment assigned to Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon. These assignments remain in place.

There is currently a vacancy for a visiting teacher for the hearing impaired in the Galway region. My Department initiated the process of appointing a successor who was appointed but subsequently decided not to accept the position. The post was re-advertised in the national newspapers at the beginning of this school year and interviews are due to be held in October. In the meantime, a part-time temporary appointment has been made.

During the summer my Department examined the overall casework requirements for the services of a visiting teacher in the Galway area. Following this review, it has been decided that a second visiting teacher should be appointed to work in East Galway. Interviews for this post will also be held in October. The successful candidate will also work in Roscommon and Longford.

Children with a hearing impairment needing access to a visiting teacher in the Longford region will continue to access the services of a visiting teacher assigned to Cavan/Monaghan until the vacancies have been filled.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Visiting Teachers (VTs) are assigned to areas and support the children/students with hearing impairment in that area. Except in large urban centres, the areas covered by VTs are aligned to county boundaries. One VT may serve children/students in a number of contiguous counties. The size of an area assigned to each VT depends on the number of children/students with a hearing impairment and the intensity of service required by each child/student in an area.

All VTs' areas have been reviewed in the past year and, in light of this review, changes have been made in assignments.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Visiting Teachers (VTs) are not appointed to schools. They are assigned to areas and they support the education of children/students attending school in an area. It is important to note that the services of the Visiting Teacher are supplemental to those of the school.

The VT service is available to all deaf and hard of hearing children, from time of diagnosis, through to third level education. The nature and frequency of visits depends on a range of factors including the age of the child, severity of hearing loss, educational placement and individual learning needs.