Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 1696: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his plans to fund the services needed to provide education to students with physical disabilities as outlined in the article (details supplied) in view of the commitments in section 7 of the Education Act 1998. [30098/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides an extensive range of supports to schools to enable them meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs, including those with a physical disability. Depending on the needs of the pupil(s), these supports may include additional resource teaching and/or care support; specialist equipment; assistive technology and special school transport arrangements.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs, including pupils with a physical disability. Applications for SNAs may be considered by the NCSE where a pupil has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a danger to themselves or to other pupils. A pupil's level of care may diminish over time as the child matures. Pupils may move to a different school or on to post-primary school. In such situations, the NCSE will review and adjust the SNA support required in the school. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

My officials have been in contact with the NCSE and have been advised that the school in question has requested a review of its allocation of resources. I understand that the local SENO will be in contact with the school regarding this matter shortly.