Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of children in County Mayo who will be affected by his recent decision to place special needs children in mainstream classrooms; if this number will be reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7095/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The establishment of classes for mild general learning disability predates many of the developments in special education policy in recent years and we now have a system for providing schools with supports for children with high incidence special needs, including mild general learning disability (MGLD), through the General Allocation Model. All primary schools, including those in Co Mayo, were allocated additional teaching resources to enable them support pupils with high incidence special educational needs under the General Allocation Model of learning support/resource teaching introduced in 2005. Schools decide how best to use this allocation based on the needs of the pupils. Most pupils with a MGLD are included in ordinary classes with their peers and are supported by their class teacher. The curriculum is flexible so that teachers can cater for the needs of children of different abilities.

The Deputy will be aware that allocations to schools typically increase or decrease depending on pupil enrolment. In the case of classes for MGLD the normal pupil teacher ratio that applies is 11:1. My Department however allows for a small reduction in this number and permits schools to retain a teaching post where it has a minimum of 9 pupils in the class. In the schools in question, the number of pupils dropped below this minimum. These schools therefore are no longer entitled to the teaching posts in these classes. All of the other primary schools in the country which do not have classes for children with MGLD cater for these pupils from within the General Allocation Model. The number of pupils involved in the class being suppressed in County Mayo is 3.

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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Question 469: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the services available in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; if the provision of learning support hours will be increased; if resource hours will be provided to this person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7110/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides a range of teaching and care supports for pupils with special educational needs in line with their assessed disability. Pupils with disabilities may be entitled to additional provision in school, either under the terms of the general allocation system of teaching supports if the assessment places the pupil in the high incidence disability category or through an allocation of additional resources if the child is assessed as having a low incidence category of disability, as defined by my Department's circular.

In circumstances where a child has a low incidence disability, this may automatically attract an individual resource teaching allocation. Such applications should be referred to the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) by the school. Templetuohy NS has been allocated a full-time resource teacher and a shared learning support/resource teacher post (LS/RT) with 20 of the hours in the school meeting the educational needs of pupils with high incidence special needs and learning support needs. It is a matter for each school to determine the pupils with high incidence special education and learning support needs that will receive this support.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local SENOs, for allocating resource teachers, for pupils with a low incidence disability, and special needs assistants to schools to support pupils with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for the details supplied to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 471: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he has made arrangements for the provision of a visiting teacher service in respect of children and young people with a hearing or visual impairment in County Mayo as referred to in a previous parliamentary question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7131/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Interviews for an additional post in my Department's visiting teacher service for the visually impaired, to serve Co. Mayo, have been completed and the post offered to a successful candidate. A decision by the candidate to accept the post, or otherwise, is imminent.