Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 610: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will support the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin. [22109/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to assure the Deputy that there will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to support from a special needs teacher as a result of the decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability. Pupils with a mild general learning disability have, and will continue to have access to additional teaching resources to support their education. These special classes which are to close pre-date the 2005 General Allocation Model of allocating additional teacher support to schools to enable them to meet the needs of pupils with mild general learning disabilities as well as a number of other high incidence disabilities. All primary schools now have additional teaching support in place for this purpose.

All children with MGLD who are in the classes being suppressed will be able to receive teaching support through the teaching resources allocated to primary schools under the General Allocation Model. Schools decide themselves how best to use this allocation based on the needs of the pupils and how to adjust their support in line with the changing needs of pupils as they mature. My Department provided a circular SP ED 02/05 to schools to assist them in deploying the General Allocation Model resources.

All of the other primary schools in the country who do not have classes for children with MGLD cater for these pupils from within the General Allocation Model. A pupil's whose educational needs falls within the low incidence disability category may be entitled to additional teaching support through the National Council for Special Education. In such circumstances, a school makes an application for this resource to the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO). 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.

I wish to reiterate that pupils with a mild general learning disability have, and will continue to have, access to additional teaching resources to support their education. However, there is a requirement to make appropriate use of the resources available and along with all other areas of expenditure, provision is dependent on the resources available to the Government.