Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 685: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the grants available to persons or families who seek to provide extra curricular activities for children who are dyslexic; the grants his Department pays to groups who assist in such activities; if there are such groups in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22686/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware a key focus and priority of my Department is to provide for resources in schools to support pupils with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia. For mainstream primary schools, this is done through the General Allocation Model. This model was introduced in September 2005 and ensures that mainstream primary schools have the additional teaching resources already in place to enable them cater for children with high-incidence special educational needs, including dyslexia.

It is a matter for the individual school to use its professional judgement to identify pupils that will receive this support and to use the resources available to the school to intervene at the appropriate level with such pupils. My Department issued a comprehensive circular, SP ED 02/05, to schools to provide guidelines and advice on the manner in which they should use the resources that have been allocated to them to best effect.

My Department also provides funding for a number of special schools and special classes attached to mainstream primary schools which have been sanctioned to meet the needs of children with dyslexia. All special schools and special classes for such children operate at a reduced pupil teacher ratio and pupils attending such facilities attract a special increased rate of capitation grant.

My Department supports teachers with additional training needs in the area of dyslexia. The Special Education Support Service (SESS) manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training needs. The SESS provides fees' subsidies for the online training course, "Dyslexia: Identification and Early Interventions". Fees' subsidies are also provided for teachers to enable them to avail of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland courses.

In addition, my Department provides funding to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers to assist children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia, with their education once relevant professionals recommend the equipment. Schools can apply to the local special educational needs organiser (SENO) directly for this support.

The Deputy may be aware that my Department has developed an information resource pack on dyslexia in CD-Rom, DVD and video format, in association with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. This product has been made available to all primary and post-primary schools. The DVD and video provides support for parents of pupils with dyslexia while the CD-Rom assists teachers who are teaching children with dyslexia in the mainstream classroom.

My Department has provided funding to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland at national level which helps the organisation operate an information service for members and the public as well as assisting in meeting the costs associated with the attendance of some children from disadvantaged backgrounds at workshops and programmes organised by the association. I understand that these workshops are organised throughout the country. My Department does not have access to funds to support the extra curricular activities referred to by the Deputy.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 686: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the funding available from his Department to meet the demands of a child (details supplied) in County Kildare who needs special equipment for the development of their education; the means available to the person to continue their studies if his Department has no such provisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22689/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides for a scheme of grants towards the purchase of equipment for the use of students in second-level schools who have been diagnosed as having serious physical and/or communicative disabilities of a degree which makes ordinary communication through speech and/or writing impossible for them. The purpose of the grant-aid is to provide such students with equipment of direct educational benefit to them. Examples of such equipment include computers, word processors, tape recorders, software, etc.

The scheme is driven by applications from schools on behalf of individual students, as and when specific needs present. Following the establishment of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), all applications for assistive technology are submitted by school management to the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) with assigned responsibility for the school. The SENO examines applications and makes a recommendation to my Department. An application for a grant for assistive technology, made on behalf of the student referred to by the Deputy, has been examined by a SENO. The SENO has concluded, based on documentation provided, that the student does not meet the criteria for a grant towards assistive technology. However, I understand that the student in question is currently being assessed for another condition. When the assessment report is made available to the school the application will be re-considered.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 687: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a reader will be provided in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will expedite a response. [22694/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the certificate Examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.