Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 1250: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to a situation (details supplied) whereby a pupil with Asperger's syndrome is not being facilitated in the school with the prescribed hours as set down by his Department. [33924/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Department Circular 11/95 states that a full school day at primary level comprises a period of not less than five hours and forty minutes.

Circular 11/95 and the Rules for National Schools also provide that pupils in infant classes may have a school day that is one hour shorter than the length of the normal school day, (i.e. 5 hours and forty minutes). It is a matter for the Board of Management of a particular school to decide whether this concession should be applied in the case of its school. If pupils in infant classes are being given a shorter day, their parents should be notified accordingly and invited to collect them at time of dismissal.

It is acknowledged that particular circumstances may arise whereby the implementation of the shorter day for pupils in infant classes may cause issues for some parents. Where this arises, my Department would encourage school authorities to engage with parents locally with a view to arriving at a mutually acceptable resolution.

As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO) for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

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 have arranged for the details supplied by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.