Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for the provision of educational assistance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26860/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department provides for a scheme of grants towards the purchase of equipment for the use of students in primary and second level schools who have been diagnosed as having serious physical and/or communicative disabilities which make 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.

As my Department has not yet received a recommendation in respect of the pupil referred to by the Deputy, an official in my Department made contact with the school. The school advised that it has not received any application from the parents concerned. The Principal is to discuss the matter with the parents, and on receipt of such application, will forward it to the SENO for consideration.