Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of primary schools the school screening service was unable to cover within 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12039/07]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of schools not offered an initial health assessment at school entry under the school screening service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12040/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 91 together.

I have been informed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) that the statistical information is not collected in the format requested. However, set out as follows are the principles guiding the provision of school screening services in this country.

"Best health for Children" introduced national recommendations on Child Health Screening and Surveillance Programme in 1999 and these were revised in 2005. In summary, current recommendations regarding Child Health Screening that should be offered to children attending primary school are as follows:

Health assessment at school entry, with follow-up selective medical examination where necessary.

Hearing screening at school entry.

Vision screening at school entry and at school exit.

The school screening service is Public Health Nursing led and where anomalies are discovered, children are referred to the Area Medical Officer service, Community Ophthalmology or a service relevant to the issue that has been highlighted. Should any urgent medical issues arise, an appropriate referral is advised. There is coverage of all public primary schools and uptake rates are very satisfactory. In areas where the service is unable to visit all schools during the school year, the outstanding schools are visited as early as possible the following school year. Particular emphasis is placed on children who join a school who have not had a previous school health examination and in these cases all elements of the screening programme are provided to those children.

A Health Assessment Questionnaire for completion by parents has also been introduced in some areas and based on the review of these questionnaires by the school Public Health Nurse, children are referred to school Medical Clinics at their local Health Centre if necessary. In the case of a child being absent on the day of screening parents are offered the facility of bringing their child to the local Health Centre for screening at a nurse-led Child Health Clinic.