Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Jul 1996

Vol. 468 No. 2

Written Answers. - Children with Disabilities.

Mary Wallace

Question:

131 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Education the current position regarding classroom assistants for children with disabilities in schools in County Meath; the number of classroom assistants being provided; the location of these classroom assistants; the number of children awaiting approval by her Department for classroom assistants; if her attention has been drawn to the absolute importance of classroom assistants to children with disabilities wishing to attend mainstream schooling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14923/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I am not in a position at present to make child care assistant posts available to primary schools. Child care assistants are employed in special schools to assist all the pupils attending those schools. Child care assistants are not allocated to individual pupils attending such schools, as a general rule.

There are eight child care assistant posts assigned to the two special schools in County Meath. St Ultan's Special School, Navan has two child care assistant posts and St. Mary's Special School, Navan has six child care assistant posts.

My attention has been drawn to the important role which child care assistants play in assisting children with special needs attending special schools. Since my appointment, I have allocated an additional 155 child care assistants to special schools bringing the total in place to 232. One hundred child care posts were allocated to special schools with effect from September 1995. These posts were allocated on the basis of priority of need following recommendations from the Department's inspectorate and having regard to data supplied by schools.

The substantial improvements which have already been achieved in this area provide practical confirmation of my commitment to the needs of the children in question. However, I have to consider how best to deploy available resources across a wider range of special needs. I have to determine priorities and try to allocate resources to best effect.

During the period 1993-95, in addition to allocating an extra 155 child care assistants, I have adopted a particular focus on the needs of children attending special schools and classes. These include a reduction in the pupil teacher ratio in all facilities, a very substantial increase in the special capitation rates, additional remedial teachers and additional resource teachers for pupils with special needs enrolled in mainstream schools.

This year, I have adopted a particular focus on children who suffer from educational disadvantage and have sought to target resources into this area in an effort to break the cycle of disadvantage. As part of this approach, a major new initiative was recently launched aimed at bringing special targeted assistance to children in selected urban and rural areas who suffer serious educational disadvantage.

I am satisfied that substantial advances have been achieved across the entire spectrum of special needs, including the child care assistant area. It is my intention to continue this process.