Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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270. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is satisfied that the current assessment of need process sufficiently caters for students with severe visual impairment; what accommodations are to be made for severely visually impaired students when completing the test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7559/24]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The assessment of need process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005. Assessment officers under the remit of the Health Service Executive (HSE) are charged with organising the assessment of need.

The HSE assessment officer makes the determination as to whether or not a child or young person meets the definition of disability contained in the act and the assessment officer coordinates and completes the assessment report.

Matters in relation to the assessment of need process should be directed to the HSE or to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how many visiting teachers there currently are nationwide for students with visual impairments; if these visiting teachers are appropriately trained in new digital technologies available to assist students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7560/24]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Education provides an extensive range of supports to assist pupils who are Blind or who have a Visual Impairment. The Department's policy, which is provided for under Section 2 of the Education of Persons with Special Needs Act 2004, aims to ensure all children with special educational needs access appropriate education intervention in mainstream settings where possible.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. The visiting teacher service for the visually impaired forms part of the NCSE support service for schools, and visiting teachers are now recruited, deployed and managed by the NCSE.

Currently there are 16 Visiting teachers posts allocated across the 10 NCSE regional teams, supported by teams of professionals and agencies such as ophthalmology services, speech and language therapists, low vision specialists, psychologists, early intervention teams and school staff.

Each visiting teacher operates in a particular region and manages a caseload of students. The visiting teacher supports children/young people, parents, guardians, teachers and other professionals involved with the child. Each visiting teacher works in partnership with parents to provide advice, and offer guidance, in matters pertaining to the child’s education and overall development. The frequency and nature of support takes into account a range of factors based on the individual’s needs.

Visiting teachers are qualified teachers with particular skills and knowledge on the development and education of children with varying degrees of visual impairment. They offer longitudinal support to children, their families and schools from the time of referral through to the end of post-primary education. They help children to develop tactile and sensory skills and give advice on self-help and other skills needed for independent living. Visiting Teachers will also discuss and demonstrate the management of assistive technologies for children who are blind/visually impaired. In the case of any technical issues with a student's assistive technology, the school can look to the Visiting Teacher and the suppliers of the equipment for support.

The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 builds on the achievements and ambition of the previous strategy and aims to further support the school system to ensure that all learners have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to successfully navigate an ever evolving digital world. The strategy has been developed following a wide ranging and extensive consultation process and sets out high level objectives under three key pillars.

www.gov.ie/en/publication/69fb88-digital-strategy-for-schools/#overview.

Visiting teachers engage in professional development on an ongoing basis and this includes training and upskilling in assistive technology and new digital technologies.