Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 342: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) was refused a laptop for their studies in view of their dyslexia and that the student has problems writing and spelling; the reason it was proposed that an Alpha Smart would be considered appropriate; if she will reconsider the request in view of the disadvantage this student suffers because of their dyslexia and the fact that they are studying for their leaving certificate in 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28144/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides for a scheme of grants towards the purchase of equipment for the use of students in second-level schools who have been diagnosed as having serious physical and/or communicative disabilities of a degree which makes ordinary communication through speech and/or writing impossible for them. The purpose of the grant-aid is to provide the students in question with equipment of direct educational benefit to them. Examples of such equipment include computers, word processors, tape recorders, software, etc.

The scheme is driven by applications from schools on behalf of individual students, as and when specific needs present. Following the establishment of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), all applications for assistive technology are submitted by school management to the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) with assigned responsibility for the school. The SENO examines applications and makes a recommendation to my Department.

In this case, the advice my Department has received is that the provision of a laptop computer is not warranted as the application does not meet the required criteria. Applications for assistive technology are only considered for those students with a Specific Learning Disability who are of average intelligence or higher and have a degree of learning disability specific to basic skills in reading, writing or mathematics, which places them at or below the 2nd percentile on suitable, standardised, norm-referenced tests. The score in this instance was above the 2nd percentile. I understand that the reason an alphasmart was suggested to the family was because it was regarded as a cheaper alternative in the event of their purchasing assistive technology from their own resources.