Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills, further to Parliamentary Question No. 41 of 7 December 2010, if a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be facilitated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5852/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

In considering applications for teaching and SNA support for individual pupils, the SENOs take account of the needs identified in the professional reports and decide whether the circumstances come within the Department's criteria. They then consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupil from its current level of resources.

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 understand from officials in my Department that the NCSE has now issued a response to the Deputy in relation to the matter raised by him.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills, further to Parliamentary Question No. 24 of 7 December 2010, if a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be facilitated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5853/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers, Special Needs Assistants and making recommendations on the provision of assistive technology to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department sanctioned a grant to the pupil's school for a laptop and computer software for the pupil in question on 6th January 2011.