Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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461. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support the adoption of a national transition year programme for students who are blind or vision impaired with ring-fenced funding of an additional €150,000 per annum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46487/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The management authority of each school carries responsibility for making decisions regarding the Transition Year Programme in that school.

Each school designs its own Transition Year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs and interests of its students. In establishing its own distinctive programme content, the school takes into account the possibilities offered by local community interests.

The NCCA has undertaken an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways, including Transition Year, the Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Established which considers the needs of all students including those who are blind or visually impaired.

A key theme of this Review was the future form and reform of the existing senior cycle programmes. This includes the range of learning programmes and pathways available to students at senior cycle, with a desire expressed that Senior Cycle should provide adequate supports for whatever progression pathways are chosen by students.

My Department is currently considering this and other aspects of the NCCA’s advisory report, which will be published shortly.

The Deputy may also be aware that I launched the NCBI Transition Year Programme and recently met with NCBI to continue our engagement on progress with the project to date.

My Department has, in advance of the Budget, received pre-budget submissions from a number of stakeholders in the education sector and from organisations involved in other areas of public policy. As in previous years, relevant submissions continue to be reviewed and they will inform the specific budgetary priorities that I will be seeking to achieve in Budget 2022.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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462. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide continuity funding and access to July provision for children who are blind or have a vision impairment beyond 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46488/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides an extensive range of supports to assist pupils who are Blind or who have Visual Impairment.

In line with my Department's policy, which is provided for under Section 2 of the Education of Persons with Special Needs Act 2004, that children with special educational needs access appropriate education intervention in mainstream settings where possible, the majority of pupils who have visual impairment are integrated into mainstream classes at primary and post-primary level.

Additional supports such as special education teaching support and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support are provided.

Some children who have visual impairment may attend a special school or classes, for which lower pupil teacher ratios of 7-1 are provided, along with SNA support.

There is one special school for the education of pupils with visual impairment, which predominantly caters for pupils at primary school level and two special classes for children with visual impairment at post primary school level.

Pupils who are attending mainstream schools receive additional teaching support from special education teachers. Schools are advised to provide the highest levels of additional teaching support for those pupils which have the highest levels of need, including pupils who may have severe levels of visual impairment.

Pupils who have visual impairment receive additional teaching support from a special education teacher in mainstream settings.

Additional supports provided include funding for specialised equipment for pupils who have visual impairment, special transport arrangements, enhanced levels of capitation in Special schools and Special Classes as well as additional teacher training.

My Department also provides annual funding of €1.28m to the National Braille Production Centre (NBPC) and to the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) for the provision of its Child Mobility Programme. This grant provides for the services of a Mobility Officer employed by the IGDB who provides mobility training to visually impaired children.

My Department’s Summer Programme for 2020 was a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years, and was expanded further for Summer 2021. This was in recognition of the disruptions caused to children with complex needs during the COVID-related school closures in 2020 and 2021

The eligibility criteria for the summer programme was expanded in 2020 to include primary school children who are blind or have a most severe visual impairment. This was been widened under the 2021 summer programme to include children with sensory impairments attending post-primary school as well.

The summer programme is an educational programme and therefore has been provided to date by educational staff, such as Teachers and SNAs.

My Department is currently processing claims for payment in respect of this years programme.

When that is complete, planning for next year's programme will commence.