Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the percentage of both primary and secondary school students who require special needs assistance for learning difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33448/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Special needs assistants are allocated to schools to support the care needs, rather than the learning difficulties, of certain children with special needs. Some children with learning difficulties may have no care needs and do not need the support of a Special Needs Assistant. These children can be supported by the learning support teacher in the school. Schools which have enrolled children with certain special educational needs may also be sanctioned additional resource teaching support.

As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) 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. As a result, the information requested by the Deputy is not retained by my Department. I will forward the Deputy's question to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.