Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 481: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when all facilities will be in place for a first year student (details supplied) in County Tipperary who is visually impaired. [30798/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a range of supports to second level school management to enable schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs including children with visual impairment. The supports in question include remedial and additional teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment.

The precise model of provision made available at second level will depend on the assessed needs of the pupils involved. Some pupils are capable of attending ordinary classes on an integrated basis with additional teacher and/or special needs assistant support. In other cases, placement in special dedicated classes or units attached to the school may be the more appropriate response. Such special classes operate at significantly reduced pupil teacher ratios. Pupils attached to these special classes may be facilitated in attending ordinary subject classes on an integrated basis wherever possible.

With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has taken over key functions from my Department in relation to special educational provision. The NCSE was formally established as an independent statutory body on the 1st October 2005 under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2005. The Council acts under the broad policy direction of my Department but has the resources and the remit to play the leading role in the delivery of education services to children with disabilities/special needs.

The NCSE co-ordinates with the health services, schools and other relevant bodies regarding the provision of education and related support services to children with disabilities/special needs. The responsibilities of the NCSE include the following: deciding on applications for additional teaching support in respect of children with disabilities with special educational needs at second level; deciding on applications for special needs assistant (SNA) hours; processing applications for school placement in respect of children with disabilities with special education needs.

Under the new arrangements, the Council, through the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) will process the relevant application for resources and inform the school of the outcome. It is important to note that in the case of decisions on additional teaching and SNA support, the SENO will outline the process to the school and parents, where appropriate, and will at the end of the process outline the basis on which the decision was made.

In addition, my Department's Teacher Education Section has developed a strategy designed to meet the continuing professional development needs of personnel working with children with special educational needs. This involves a major expansion of the range of post-graduate professional training programmes available to teachers in the special needs area and the ongoing development of the Special Education Support Service (SESS) to support schools staff locally. My Department also provides a Visiting Teacher service to support the needs of blind and visually impaired students in primary and post-primary schools.

Visiting Teachers provide assistance in the educational planning and monitoring of educational progress of pupils. They provide a link between home and school and play a part in the successful transition from primary through to secondary level schooling.

The NCSE has confirmed that the pupil to whom the Deputy refers has been granted 3 hours additional teaching support per week and has shared access to a full time Special Needs Assistant for the 2006/07 school year. The NCSE has also advised that an application for assistive technology in the form of a laptop with specialised software has also been approved for this pupil.

My Department will continue to ensure that the necessary resources are made available for the education of children with special needs. I am confident that the advent of the NCSE will prove of major benefit in ensuring that all children with special educational needs receive the support they require.

Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 482: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the number of hours of resource teaching allocated to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick will be increased from three and a half hours per week to five hours per week, in view of the fact that they have a severe disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30799/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs (SEN) supports from primary and post primary schools. The teaching and special needs assistant (SNA) support allocated are intended to enable schools to meet the needs of pupils as outlined in psychological and other professional reports. In allocating SEN supports for individual pupils, the SENOs examine the teaching and other resources available within the individual schools. The SENO also operates within the parameters of my Department's criteria for the allocation of such resources.

I can confirm that the school in question has been allocated 3.5 hours resource teaching per week together with full time SNA support for this pupil. My officials have been advised that the SENO received an application for an increase in resource teaching hours to 5 hours per week in respect of the pupil. I understand that the application was refused in May 2006 because relevant documentation including professional reports were not received.

The NCSE will review decisions previously taken in relation to such cases on foot of a request from the school or parents/guardians, when accompanied by relevant additional information that may not have been available at the time of the decision. The NCSE has outlined this process in its Circular 01/05, which has issued to all primary schools. I am informed that the local SENO has been in contact with the school principal recently regarding the matter and will review the position on receipt of relevant documentation.