Vol. 437 No. 6
60 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the discrimination against the visually impaired who cannot have facilities, equipment and teachers provided in their own region and thereby become integrated in their own primary schools.
76 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the growing number of parents of visually impaired children who wish to have their children educated locally at primary school level; the plans, if any, she has for the integration of such children in local national schools, with particular reference to the employment of suitably qualified teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
116 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that only half of all visually impaired children in this country attend the special schools in Dublin; and the proposals, if any, she has to provide access to education for them.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 76, and 116 together. It is the policy of my Department to seek to encourage the maximum possible level of integration of children with disabilities, including those with a visual impairment, into ordinary schools. I fully support the right of parents to opt, where appropriate, for an integrated approach to their children's education.
At present, approximately 155 visually impaired children are attending schools which have dedicated facilities to address their needs, with a further 380 approximately attending ordinary schools on an integrated basis throughout the country. Children attending special schools would have a serious degree of visual impairment and such children would need access to a comprehensive range of highly developed support services.
Under a new arrangement, eight extra teachers have been added to the visiting teacher service and all 38 teachers in the service, including 27 teachers who previously concentrated solely on hearing impaired children, are now available to support the needs of visually impaired children. These developments will facilitate more frequent visits to the children concerned. The teachers will also continue to have access to the back-up support and assistance of the specialists in visual impairment within the service.
