John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 186: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the situation regarding services available for assessment or assistance for eleven year old children with dyslexia; the waiting lists or time-scales for services to be provided and if there is financial help available. [19515/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy will be aware that my Department implemented a new scheme for allocating learning support / resource teachers (LS/RTs) to schools to cater for the needs of children with high-incidence special educational needs such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties in all primary schools in September 2005. The general allocation model was constructed so that allocations would be based on pupil numbers and is designed to ensure that each school has learning support/resource teaching support available to meet the needs of children with high incidence special needs including dyslexia. The scheme reduces the need for individual applications and supporting psychological assessments. It also facilitates early intervention as the resource is in place in the school when the child enrols.

It is a matter for the individual school to use its professional judgement to identify pupils with high incidence special education and learning support needs that will receive this support and to use the resources available to the school to intervene at the appropriate level with such pupils.

My Department issued a comprehensive circular, SP ED 02/05 to schools which provides guidelines and advice on the manner in which they should use the resources that have been allocated to them to best effect.

Where a pupil's condition is of a more serious nature, provision can be made in one of the 4 special schools, or 22 special classes attached to ordinary primary schools, dedicated to the needs of children with dyslexia. All special schools and special classes for such children operate at a reduced pupil teacher ratio of 9:1 and pupils attending such facilities attract a special increased rate of capitation grant.

My Department also provides funding to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers to assist children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia, with their education where such equipment is recommended by relevant professionals. Schools can apply to the local Special Educational Needs Organiser directly for this support.

My Department has developed an information resource pack on dyslexia in CD-Rom, DVD and video format, in association with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. This product has been made available to all primary and post-primary schools. The DVD and video provides support for parents of pupils with dyslexia while the CD-Rom assists teachers who are teaching children with dyslexia in the mainstream classroom.

The position regarding assessments is that schools have access to psychological assessments for their pupils, either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) administered by NEPS. Schools that do not currently have a NEPS psychologist assigned to them may avail of the SCPA scheme. This Scheme allows the school to commission assessments from members of a panel of psychologists in private practice approved by NEPS. The fees for these assessments are paid directly by NEPS to the psychologist. Details of this process and the conditions that apply to the scheme are available on the Department's Website, www.education.gov.ie.

The Deputy may be aware that 31 additional psychologists are to be recruited to the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) in 2007. This will increase the total number of psychologists in NEPS by 25%, to 158. The extra 31 psychologists that will be recruited in 2007 will mean that more schools will have a direct service from NEPS.

My Department is continuing to prioritise the development of the network of special educational provision for children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia and I believe that the steps taken in recent years and those currently in hand represent significant progress in the development of those services.

The question of tax relief is a matter for my colleague, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Cowen T.D.