Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if financial assistance exists for persons and families to cover costs associated with learning disabilities, specifically dyslexia; if this covers assessment, specialist tuition and assistive technology; if no financial assistance exists, if some form will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10558/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides a range of resources for pupils with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), of which Dyslexia is one such SLD.

My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides an educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website.

Funding is provided for 4 Special Schools and 12 Special Classes attached to mainstream primary schools which have been sanctioned to meet the needs of children with SLD, including dyslexia.

All mainstream schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, including SLD, either under the General Allocation Model at primary school level or through High Incidence and learning support allocations for post primary schools. It is a matter for individual schools to use their professional judgment to identify pupils who will receive this support and to use the resources available to the school to intervene at the appropriate level with such pupils. Schools are supported in this regard by NEPS. Schools are not required to apply directly to my Department for learning support for SLDs such as dyslexia. Schools should monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance. The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is decided and managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs.

A new model for the allocation of teaching resources for children with special educational needs will be implemented from September 2017.

Under the new allocation model schools will be provided with a total allocation which includes a baseline allocation for the school and an allocation based on the school profile. The provision of a profiled allocation will give a fairer allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the actual level of need and pupils in each school. A new Circular will be issued to schools in the coming weeks which will provide details of how the scheme will operate while details of the allocations for each school will also be provided to schools.

Schools will also receive guidance as to how they should deploy their resources to provide additional teaching support for pupils taking into account their individual learning needs.

Funding is available to schools also for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with SLDs, where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools apply to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) for such support. SENOs make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required.

The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support in the form of Assistive Technology, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013. In order to qualify for equipment under the assistive technology scheme, a child must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the child to access the curriculum. It must also be clear that the existing I.T. equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs.

Schools who wish to apply for assistive technology support for pupils with special educational needs should contact their local SENO.  All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO, parents may also contact the SENO directly to discuss the special educational needs of their child. A list of SENO contact details is available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.

Further supports which are provided to support pupils with Dyslexia include an information resource pack on Dyslexia which has been made available to all primary and post-primary schools as well as provision for continuing professional development for teachers with additional training needs in the area of Dyslexia through the Special Education Support Service (SESS) and reasonable accommodations in State Examinations.

My Department also provides annual 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.