Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of implementation of the new Inclusion Support Service; the progress that has specifically been made in supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27081/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to advise the Deputy that a new Inclusion Support Service within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is currently being established in order to assist schools in supporting children with special education needs.

The service will include the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for children who are deaf/hard of hearing and for children who are blind/visually impaired (VTHVI service).

This change will mean that schools will receive a better and more integrated service from this new Inclusion Support Service.

I can advise that work is ongoing to transfer these services to the NCSE. It is intended that the Inclusion Support Service will be operational from 2017. It is also intended, however, that the existing services will continue as normal, as the new arrangements are put in place, with as little disruption as possible to service users, as progress is made to transfer these services to the NCSE.

Pending the development of the new service, children who are deaf or hard of hearing will continue to be supported by the Visiting Teacher Service which is provided by my Department, from the time of referral through to third level education. The Visiting Teacher service provides advice and support to ensure that the needs of children and young people with hearing impairment are met. This service is available at pre-school, primary and post-primary levels. Specifically, the service works in partnership with parents of pre-school children with hearing impairment, visiting their homes and/or meeting them in groups to inform, advise and offer guidance in matters pertaining to their education and overall development and in helping their children to derive maximum benefit from the educational opportunities available.

A range of other educational supports to assist children with Hearing Impairment are also in place, including:

- Special school and special class placements which have enhanced pupil teacher ratios.

- Additional Resource Teaching Support for pupils with Hearing Impairment who are attending mainstream

- Special Needs Assistant Support: DES Circulars 0071/2011 and 30/2014 in relation to Special Needs Assistant (SNS) restated the role of the SNA to ensure that it includes the necessary duties that are required to support the care needs of Deaf and hard of hearing students, including in relation to provision of ISL support and assistance.

- An Assistive Technology Scheme to provide for necessary specialised equipment in schools.

- Funding for an Irish Sign language (ISL) weekly home tuition service through which deaf tutors visit the homes of deaf pre-school children and deaf school-going pupils to provide training in ISL for the deaf children, pupils, their siblings and parents.

- Funding is also made available through the Special Education Support Service (SESS) to enable individual teachers and whole school staff to undertake courses in Irish Sign Language which are available throughout the country through a variety of providers.

My Department, through the Higher Education Authority (HEA), has established and funds a Centre for Deaf Studies in Trinity College, Dublin which provides diploma courses for ISL/English interpreters, deaf tutors and in deaf studies. The course modules deal with issues such as sign linguistics, bi-lingualism and socio-linguistics of sign language. The course is delivered in seminar sessions/group work and the award of the diploma is based on continued assessment and a project and course design.

Sign language is an option in the Leaving Certificate Applied. There is also an opportunity for students to learn sign language in the course of Transition Year.

In addition, the Post-Primary Languages Initiative has developed a specification for a short course in Irish Sign Language (ISL) which is available as part of the new Junior Cycle. The emphasis is on developing communication skills in ISL at level A1 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). This course develops students' ability to understand ISL in live and in recorded situations, to produce the language and to interact with other signers in a simple way and on familiar topics.

Finally, I can advise that the National Council for Special Education has also published a parental information leaflet for parents of children who are Deaf of Hard of Hearing, which provides details of the supports which are available for such children.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

281. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who have a diagnosis of deaf or hearing impaired who have completed leaving certificate examinations from 2010 to 2016 in tabular form. [27082/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.

In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.