Vol. 455 No. 4
111 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the lack of lip-reading teachers available nationwide; the plans, if any, she has to increase funding for this service; the groups, if any, she has met on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12357/95]
My attention has not been drawn to any such shortage. Lip-reading skills are taught in the school for the hearing impaired and to hearing impaired children in ordinary schools. The special schools for hearing impaired children and the Department's visiting teacher service have teachers specialising in this area.
Teacher skills in facilitating lip-reading among pupils form part of the basic training for teachers of the hearing impaired.
I have not met any groups recently in relation to the issue raised by the Deputy.
112 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that all school texts will be made available in a digital format suitable for conversion into a format readable by blind and visually impaired persons. [12365/95]
It is the policy of my Department to provide suitable equipment and reading materials, including braillers and brailled reading materials, to blind and visually impaired pupils. My Department arranges for specific textbooks, as recommended by my Department's visiting teacher service, to be converted into braille. Funding is also provided to the special schools for the visually impaired to enable them to have textbooks in braille.
113 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Education the current status of the recommendations of the Review Group on Special Education. [12366/95]
A departmental task force has been established and is examining the recommendations contained in the review committee's report with a view to drawing up a phased action plan for its implementation. The task force has drawn up an action plan with the aim of giving effect to the review committee's recommendations over a four year target period, having regard to likely resource availability and the need to prioritise responses.
I have adopted a positive approach in relation to the recommendations and wish to see them implemented as quickly as possible. A range of measures have already been implemented and others are being implemented as resources permit. I have implemented the following measures to improve education services: the introduction of a very substantial increase in special capitation rates payable to pupils attending special schools and classes; the introduction of a one unit improvement in the pupil teacher ratio for special schools and classes from September next; the upgrading of specialised equipment required in special schools and classes; the introduction of a scheme for the provision of escorts and safety harnesses on certain school transport services to assist pupils with special needs in this area; the counting of pupils enrolled in special classes in ordinary national schools in determining the enrolment of the school for staffing purposes; and the recruitment of additional psychologists.
