Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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992. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the average per capita spending on technology for a visually impaired child in primary and post-primary school respectively in a given year. [19014/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.

Schools make application directly to the SENO, providing details of the student's special educational needs or disability, including details of the approach taken by the school in making relevant interventions.

It is the role of the SENOs to establish whether the criteria of the scheme have been met. They will then make a recommendation to my Department as to whether or not assistive technology is required: and based on this recommendation, my Department's officials will decide on the level of grant, if any, to be provided.

Information on the nature of the pupil’s disability is not passed on from the NCSE to my officials and therefore my Department does not hold information on the per capita spending on technology on specific disabilities.