Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has identified the schools at which the most serious and pressing needs in respect of remedial resource or speech and language therapy or other special needs teaching requirements exist; her proposals to meet these requirements as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34143/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education, through the 75 local special educational needs organisers, known as SENOs, is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs supports. These supports include resource teaching hours and SNA support for pupils with low-incidence special needs and assistive technology or equipment for pupils in either high-or low-incidence special educational needs categories. In this way pressing needs in the area of special needs supports in schools are identified early and acted upon quickly.

In addition a general allocation scheme has been in operation since September 2005 under which mainstream primary schools have been provided with resource teaching hours, based on enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs.

There has been enormous progress made over the past number of years in relation to increasing the number of teachers in our schools who are specifically dedicated to providing education for children with special educational needs. At primary level, there are now over 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. At second level, 1,843 whole time equivalent additional teachers are in place to support pupils with special educational needs as well as 534 wholetime equivalent learning support teachers.

I am confident that the advent of the National Council for Special Education, the introduction of the General Allocation Model and the significant number of teaching posts allocated in recent years have ensured children with learning support and resource educational needs are receiving the necessary educational supports.

The responsibility for the provision of speech and language therapy services rests with the Health Service Executive. However, I can advise the Deputy that my Department has sanctioned 59 special classes for children with specific speech and language disorder. Each class can cater for up to 7 children and children have access to a speech and language therapist.