asked the Minister for Education the studies that have been carried out in regard to the teaching of deaf and hearing impaired children; the numbers of such children; and the types of educational facilities available to them at the present time.
7.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hearing Impaired Pupils.
6.
asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the facilities available throughout the country for the teaching of hearing impaired children.
8.
asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the existing unsatisfactory arrangements whereby deaf children and hearing impaired children have to travel every Sunday evening to Dublin to school, and return home on Friday; and the number of groups and organisations throughout the country who are anxious that special classes will be provided on a county or regional basis, and attached to ordinary national schools.
9.
asked the Minister for Education the progress to date that has been made in providing classes throughout the country for deaf and hearing impaired children.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9 inclusive, together.
The major study on the education of deaf and hearing impaired children was that published in 1972 in the report entitled The Education of Children who are Handicapped by Impaired Hearing. These children are catered for in five special schools, three of which are in Dublin, one in Cork and one in Limerick. The Dublin schools provide residential placement for children from the provinces as well as catering on a daily basis for pupils from the general area of Dublin. In addition, my Department operate a visiting teacher service which provides special instruction at the pre-school stage and which assists pupils who suffer from hearing impairment who are attending ordinary national schools. The total number of pupils in the special schools for the hearing impaired is 845.
The present arrangements permit of a concentration of expertise and facilities for imparting specialised language and other skills and I am advised that such arrangements are in the best interests of the majority of the pupils. Suitable travel arrangements are made to enable residential pupils to spend week-ends at home. There is no evidence available to me that parents, in general, are not satisfied that the present provision is reasonable and of high standard.
Two local organisations have recently made application for the establishment of special classes attached to local national schools which would cater for hearing impaired children. These applications are under consideration in my Department.
With regard to the two local organisations I presume one of them the Minister is referring to is from the midlands? Has the Minister or his Department given any special consideration to setting up a pilot scheme in some midland area for a period of 12 months or two years. What would be the possibility of having such a scheme looked at? What would be the possibility of monitoring such a scheme over a specific period to see what progress had been made and also to see if such a scheme should be extended to other areas?
We are considering a scheme of that kind in the context of the Offaly application. Whilst I can understand the concern of some parents in regard to putting their children on a bus or train to travel to Dublin, I am advised by experts that where you have a centre available with all the equipment and all the facilities requisite a much better educational service can be provided for these children than might be provided in smaller localised centres. The position is being examined and I hope in the not too distant future to communicate a decision to those concerned.
Would the Minister consider the problem of the four year old child being put on a bus in some part of rural Ireland on a Sunday evening to travel to Dublin? Would he consider that problem from the point of view of the child's ability to communicate? Because of the importance of the whole issue, would he try to expedite his decision and, in coming to his decision, would he take into account the possible traumatic effect of this kind of travel on such children?
I have already said I will take all of that into account. I am aware of that in a minority of cases. As I said, I am having the whole matter examined and, when that examination is completed, I shall communicate with the Deputy.
Is the Minister aware that very young children of four, five and six years of age are travelling on these trains on Sunday night and some of these young children are not able to cope. In the case of a particular family in the Athlone area a mother has asked the Midland Health Board if they will allow her to bring her children by car on Monday morning rather than issue her with a free ticket and have them travel by train on Sunday night. I will give the Minister the details.
If the Deputy gives me the details I shall certainly have the matter looked at. I cannot give her any assurance at this stage but I will have the matter examined.
Would the Minister say if he thinks that is a correct procedure when parents are willing to bring the children by car?
The Deputy is now talking about a completely different matter but if the Deputy gives me the particulars I shall have the matter examined. I understand there are cases where parents are concerned about putting their children on buses or trains but what we have been talking about are the facilities available. According to all the experts better facilities are available at centralised schools.
I accept what the Minister says about the experts and the specialisation in some of the larger centres. That is highly desirable but would the Minister consider extending such facilities to major towns in particular areas where equivalent expertise and specialisation could be provided? I have become aware of the problem within the last nine months or so but I believe all this travel has a traumatic effect on these young children, particularly if the children have any disability from the point of view of communication. From that point of view I would ask the Minister to extend the scheme on a county or regional basis to cater for particular catchment areas?
My Department provide special facilities at the pre-school stage for children suffering hearing impairments and attending ordinary national schools. A number of schools for children with impaired hearing are provided. The number of teachers in schools for deaf and hearing impaired children is 138 and the number of children in these schools is 845. I have already told the Deputy I am considering the whole matter at the moment and I will communicate with him in due course.
Could the Minister tell us the number of schools?
We have three in Dublin, two in Cork and one in Limerick.
For the whole of Ireland?
I said I am examining the situation in the context of the application before me and I shall look at the matter sympathetically.
Is the Minister aware that one of the centres, St. Mary's in Cabra, is in a very bad state of repair and the parents are concerned about that, and could the Minister tell us what plans he has to deal with the situation?
I do not have that information with me.