Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on dyslexia in pupils; the amount of grant aid he has given to an association (details supplied) on an annual basis for the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39363/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides a range of supports for pupils with dyslexia. In mainstream primary schools, support is provided through the General Allocation Model (GAM). The GAM was introduced in September 2005 and ensures that mainstream primary schools have the additional teaching resources already in place to enable them cater for children with high-incidence special educational needs, including dyslexia. My Department also provides funding for a number of special schools and special classes attached to mainstream primary schools which have been sanctioned to meet the needs of children with specific learning disabilities, including dyslexia. Support is also provided for teachers with additional training needs in the area of dyslexia. The Special Education Support Service (SESS) manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training needs. The SESS provides fees' subsidies for online training courses and courses run by the Dyslexia Association of Ireland as well as support for in-school seminars and attendance at relevant conferences and seminars. Twenty seminars on Learning and Teaching for Students with Special Educational Needs (Dyslexia & Dyspraxia) were provided by the SESS through the Education Centre network in the 2010/11 school year at which 823 teachers attended. 50 teachers availed of training in the Wilson Reading System in the 2010/11 school year, a highly-specialised intensive programme on the development of reading for students with dyslexia. A further online course for teachers is being developed by the SESS in conjunction with Dyslexia International and will be available on the SESS e-learning site in the coming weeks. In addition, my Department provides funding to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia, with their education once relevant professionals recommend the equipment. Schools can apply to the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) directly for this support. An information resource pack on dyslexia in CD-ROM, DVD and video format, has been developed by my Department in association with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. This product has been made available to all primary and post-primary schools. The DVD and video provides support for parents of pupils with dyslexia while the CD-ROM assists teachers who are teaching children with dyslexia in the mainstream classroom. My Department has provided funding to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland at national level which helps the organisation operate an information service for members and the public as well as assisting in meeting the costs associated with the attendance of some children from disadvantaged backgrounds at workshops and programmes organised by the association. The total grant-aid provided my Department to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland for the past 5 years, including funding provided to the Association for further education programmes, is as follows:2010- € 183,5002009- € 183,5002008- € 188,5002007- € 183,5002006- € 156,500