Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 465: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to provide funding for the employment of support workers in playschools to facilitate children with special needs to attend mainstream playschools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29827/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that I have no plans to provide funding for the employment of support workers in playschools.

As the Deputy is aware, the programme for government commits to ensuring early intervention for pre-school children with special educational needs. My Department is currently considering this issue. The timing of the implementation of such an intervention will be dependent on the necessary resources being made available.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 466: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many children with special education needs have difficulty in obtaining access to publicly funded speech and language therapy; and her views on developing a speech and language therapy service within her Department which would target children with special education needs who frequently fall through the crevices on the Health Service Executive system. [29828/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In May 2002, my Department approved the provision of 175 additional therapy training places to tackle shortages of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists as identified in the report "Current and Future Supply and Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Professional Therapists", which was undertaken by Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates in 2001 on behalf of the Department of Health and Children.

Commencing from 2003, there has been an increase of 75 places on new courses in Speech and Language Therapy. The additional places were equally divided between the BSc course in UCC, the BSc course in NUIG, and the Masters course in UL. The increase in intake has resulted in a significant increase in the number of Speech and Language Therapists graduating from the third level sector. Data on the number of graduates for 2007 are not yet available but it is expected that there will be in the region of 94 graduates. These 75 new places were in addition to the 25 places already in TCD.

As the Deputy will be aware, the provision of therapy services, including speech therapy for people with disabilities, is a matter for the Health Services Executive (HSE) and funding is provided to the HSE for such purposes. Responsibility for the recruitment of these therapists rests with the HSE. My Department does not employ speech therapists for the delivery of speech therapy services to schools or determine the children that should receive these services. I have no plans to develop a Speech and Language therapy service within my Department.

I can confirm that there are currently 59 special classes for children with specific speech and language disorder in primary schools nationwide. The classes operate at a pupil teacher ratio of 7:1. The Health Service Executive funds the provision of speech and language therapy services for the children attending these classes.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special needs supports, including applications for the establishment of special classes, including classes for specific speech and language disorder.