Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the educational supports which have been put in place to ease the particular difficulties faced by migrant children and those in direct provision when transitioning from primary to secondary education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24387/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Educational supports are on the basis of identified need.  At both primary and post-primary levels, additional language support is provided for students who do not speak English as their first language.  English as an Additional Language (EAL) resources are designed to allow individual students to participate in mainstream education on a par with their peers. Additional supports are provided on the basis of identified educational need. 

Since the academic year 2014/15, the Education Passport has been in operation. The Education Passport Material includes a 6th Class Report, a Profile of the student by the student and a profile of the student by the parent/guardian. This suite of materials is transferred from the primary to the post-primary school. The materials aim to support the dual purpose of reporting to parents and of transferring pupil information from primary to post-primary schools.

Children who present with special educational needs are assessed by the relevant health and education professionals, and are linked with the relevant education provision most suited to their needs. These include:

- additional teaching support from a learning support or resource teacher

- a special class in a mainstream school with a lower pupil teacher ratio specified according to the category of disability e.g. a special class for children with autistic spectrum disorder;

- a special school with a lower pupil-teacher ratio specified according to the category of disability e.g. a special school for children with moderate general learning disability.

All asylum seekers are medical card holders and, inter alia, they are exempt from the fees for State examinations (the Leaving and Junior Certificate).