Vol. 462 No. 5
173 Dr. McDaid asked the Minister for Education the number of children with Down's Syndrome attending mainstream primary schools, excluding those attending special classes attached to such schools in counties Donegal, Galway, Dublin and Tipperary; and the frequency and duration of visits in respect of each child per week by the visiting teacher service funded by her Department excluding travelling time. [5013/96]
The information required by the Deputy regarding the number of children with Down's Syndrome attending mainstream primary schools is not readily available to my Department. When application is made for additional support from the visiting teacher service in respect of which pupils, the frequency of visits is usually one to two per week and the duration is usually from one to two hours. The actual frequency and duration of the visits are determined having regard to the degree of special educational need of the individual pupil concerned and the needs of the other pupils on the caseload of the visiting teacher.
