Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will take the necessary steps to ensure that all children with Down's syndrome will have an automatic entitlement to the maximum allocation of low incidence teaching hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15573/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department has put in place a range of teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs, including those with Down Syndrome. Pupils with Down Syndrome may be entitled to additional provision in school, either under the terms of the general allocation system for children with high incidence special needs or through an allocation of additional resources where the pupil has been assessed as being within the low incidence category of special need. In such circumstances, the number of additional teaching hours allocated would range from three to five hours per week depending on the pupil's special educational needs including the level of general learning disability Applications for such support are made through the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) by the school. I am satisfied that the mechanisms are in place to provide appropriate resources for children with special needs in our schools, including those with Downs Syndrome.