Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath, for whom it has been recommended that they receive remedial support and a special needs assistant, will receive same; if he will take steps to ensure that this person receives the support as set out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17284/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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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. Applications for SNAs may be considered by the NCSE where a pupil has a significant medical need for such assistance and where there are identified care needs arising from a diagnosed disability. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

I understand that the SENO has notified the relevant parties in relation to the decision taken on the application for additional resources made on behalf of the pupil in question.

The NCSE will undertake to review a decision taken by a SENO on foot of a request from a school or parents/guardians, when accompanied by relevant additional information, which may not have been to hand at the time of the decision. The NCSE has outlined this process in its Circular 01/05.