Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 789: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Meath will have access to an educational psychological service and special needs assistant at primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20687/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. I have arranged for the details supplied by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.

All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

The school which the child attends has a direct service from the National Educational Psychological Service of my Department. I am advised that the psychologist assigned to the school has not received any request from the school with regard to either consultation or casework with this pupil. The pupil concerned is attending learning support within the context of the General Allocation Model provision, which appears to be the appropriate response to her reading difficulty at this time.

I understand that the assigned psychologist will consult with the Principal on her next visit to the school concerning the needs of this child.