Written answers

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Department of Education and Science

Special Educational Needs

10:00 am

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 673: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Questions Nos 599 and 605 of 29 June 2010, the rationale upon which a common pay date of the 11 November has been introduced for the July Education Programme; if this deferred payment date could give rise to circumstances in which parents could not afford advance payment will be facilitated; if she has satisfied herself that the proposed new arrangements for payment will not disadvantage any child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29893/10]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The common pay date for the July Education Programme was introduced in 2009 as part of my Department's continued effort to improve our service to parents of children with special educational needs.

The benefit of the common day date is that parents and teachers receive payment on the same date irrespective of whether they are included in a school-based or home-based programme. The common day date is well advertised prior to the start of the programme and gives both parents and teachers an exact date on which they can expect payment from my Department.

These arrangements worked exceptionally well in 2009. No child was in any way disadvantaged by its introduction. As previously advised, the decision in 2010 to change the common pay date from 30 September, as in 2009, to 11 November was made after consideration of the available staffing resources within my Department.

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