Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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338. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding plans to cut the assignment of visiting teachers for blind children in mainstream primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46812/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Visiting Teacher Service for children with visual and hearing impairment (VTHVI) provides assistance for children who are deaf/hard of hearing and children who are blind/visually impaired. There are currently no plans in place to cut this service. In May 2013 the National Council for Special Education brought forward policy advice in which it recommended that the service should be reviewed. Accordingly, my Department has recently announced an independent review of this service in line with the NCSE recommendations.

The review will be conducted by two independent reviewers who are tasked to review the role and function of the Visiting Teacher Service with a view to the making of recommendations for consideration to my Department in relation to the efficient and coordinated delivery of the services that the Visiting Teachers service currently provides.

It is anticipated that the review will be concluded by the end of February 2014.