Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if equipment will be provided to a student (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of their educational needs. [41166/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has no record of receiving a recommendation for assistive technology support for the child in question. I have arranged for the details supplied by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.

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 pupils with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

Schools may also apply to the NCSE for the provision of assistive technology required to support pupils who have been assessed as having a special educational need that requires specific assistive technology support in order to access the curriculum. SENOs consider such applications and recommend to my Department on whether funding should be granted to the schools concerned. If sanctioned, the equipment funded is the property of the school and the use of the equipment in the home is at the discretion of the school.

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.