Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will visit a school (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19401/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for co-ordinating special needs education provision at local and national level and arranging for the delivery of special education services.

I understand that the school referred to by the Deputy has been in contact with my Department indicating that the children in question have a different category of disability. Different resource parameters apply to different disability categories and my officials have advised the school to make contact with the SENO so that the case can be re-examined in that context.

I wish to advise the Deputy that I do not visit every school or class where the level of staffing or level of funding has been adversely affected by the application of various policies. Not only would it be physically impossible for me to visit every school where a teaching post is being suppressed, I would suggest that this would not represent the best use of a Minister's time.