Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 521: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to improve teacher training for teachers in the context of children with special needs and autism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11113/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The existing pre-service teacher training programmes in the Colleges of Education (primary teacher training) include specific elements aimed at enabling all student teachers to recognise and deal with children with special educational needs, including pupils with Autism.

At second level, there are elements to both the Higher Diploma in Education and the Education Degree programmes in the University of Limerick, as part of a general alertness orientation programme, on the variety of learning difficulties which pupils may have — this also covers the issue of Autism.

My Department holds ongoing discussions with the Colleges of Education and Universities to ensure that appropriate responses are made at pre-service level in relation to the continuing needs of all trainee teachers to acquire knowledge of, and familiarity with, the needs of pupils with special educational needs, including Autism.

I would like to point out that my Department has developed a strategy to meet the continuing professional development of teachers working with pupils with special educational needs. This strategy has resulted in a major expansion in the range of post-graduate professional development programmes for teachers. These programmes, which are available annually, include the "Masters in Special Educational Needs (MSEN)", "Combined Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Continuous Professional Development for Teachers involved in Learning Support and Special Education" and the "Graduate Certificate Course in the Education of Pupils with Autism". It is a central feature of all these courses that teachers are given the necessary skills and expertise to recognise Autism as well as providing the training to meet the needs of students with autism and special educational needs in general.

Ongoing support in the area of Special Educational Needs is provided by the Special Education Support Service (SESS). The SESS was established as part of the Department's overall strategy on continuing professional development of teachers working with pupils with special educational needs, and it undertakes a number of approaches to address the training needs with a view to enhancing the teaching and learning for children with special educational needs. The SESS provides a dedicated support team of expert teachers delivering a range of supports to schools through seminar delivery and individual school visits. In 2006, over 4,000 training places were funded by the SESS to enable teachers to access a range of autism training. The recognition of Autistic Spectrum Disorders forms an integral part of all supports provided by the SESS. This support and training in the recognition of Autism informs training across the educational spectrum, both in mainstream and special schools. Given the training and support available, I am satisfied that there is comprehensive training and support available to all frontline education professionals in the recognition of Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 522: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason home tuition hours and funding is reduced; the reason there is insufficient numbers educational psychologists posts in the south east region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11114/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department's spending on the home tuition scheme has not been reduced. The cost of the home tuition scheme has increased from €5.3 million in 2004 to over €8 million in 2006. The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for pre-school children with autism.

All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). In counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and Tipperary South Riding, a total of 225 Primary and Post Primary schools have NEPS Psychologists assigned to them. In addition NEPS psychologists are assigned to all DEIS schools in the Region.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I have signalled an increase of 31 psychologist posts in NEPS staffing in 2007. It is envisaged that these appointments will allow for further expansion of coverage by NEPS psychologists across all regions. Additionally under the Towards 2016 Agreement commitments I have further announced that NEPS psychologist numbers shall expand by a further 35 posts over the next two years. Since the establishment of the NEPS in 1999, the number of NEPS psychologists has increased from 43 to 127 at present.

While the Deputy is aware that the provision of speech and language therapies, occupational therapies and a co-ordinator for autism in the south east region is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Health and Children, there are Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) in place across the country. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with special educational needs, including autism, since 1 January 2005. The NCSE has a key role in the delivery of services for persons with special educational needs and operates through a network of SENOs. The SENOs have been appointed throughout the country and are a focal point of contact for schools and parents. The NCSE, through the local SENO, processes the relevant applications for resources and convey decisions directly to the schools.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 523: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason there is a delay from July to October in paying out the necessary allowance to the parents of children with special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11115/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that every effort is made to process all claims for payment as speedily as possible. While there may have been delays in respect of some such payments, my officials are not aware of a general problem in relation to the payment of home tuition claims for the period in question. If the Deputy is aware of a particular case and wishes to provide the relevant details, my officials will be happy to look into the matter further.