Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 1018: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will allocate special resource training to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal who has been diagnosed with dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1895/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation system was introduced in May 2005, under which schools have been provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs.

The general allocation system means that rather than schools having to make individual applications to this Department for resources for such pupils, resources are provided in advance to the school. The school attended by the pupil referred to by the Deputy has been allocated 0.86 teaching posts (22.5 hours) to provide for the educational needs of the pupils with high incidence special needs and learning support needs.

The board of management may decide how these hours are divided among the pupils in the school, to ensure that all their needs are met. Research shows that some pupils with special needs will respond better with one-to-one tuition. Others, however, do better when taught in small groups. Often it is best for resource/learning support teachers to work with pupils in the classroom rather than taking them away to a separate room, as the pupils then have to catch up on work done by the rest of the class in their absence.

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

As the pupil in question has been diagnosed with dyslexia her special educational needs should be catered for within the general allocation granted to the school.