Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide reassurances to parents and teachers that there will be no cuts or reductions in services to the visiting teacher service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2349/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Visiting Teacher Service for children with Visual and Hearing Impairment provides assistance for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and children who are blind or visually impaired.

In May 2013 the National Council for Special Education brought forward policy advice which recommended that the service should be reviewed. Accordingly, an independent review of this service is currently being conducted line with the NCSE recommendations.

The review is being conducted by two independent reviewers who are tasked with reviewing the role and function of the Visiting Teacher Service in accordance with the Terms of Reference of the Review which are available on my Department's website, with a view to the making recommendations for consideration to my Department.

I am not in a position to anticipate the outcome of this review which is still underway and which is expected to be concluded by the middle of March 2014.