Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Oct 1998

Vol. 494 No. 4

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Richard Bruton

Question:

456 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children with special education needs who are in special schools, in special classes in ordinary schools and in ordinary classes; and if he will give these figures nationally and for counties Dublin, Cork and Galway. [18744/98]

Richard Bruton

Question:

458 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children with special education needs who are estimated to be in receipt of specialist teacher services, distinguishing remedial, resource, visiting and other teacher services. [18746/98]

Richard Bruton

Question:

460 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the methods used by his Department to establish the number of children with special education needs, to identify gaps in support services needed by those children and to plan resource provision. [18748/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 456, 458 and 460 together.

The following table details the number of children in special schools and special classes attached to ordinary primary schools in the 1997-98 school year.

Category	Nationally	Dublin	Cork	Galway
Special Schools	7,409	3,147	699	191
Special Classes	7,062	2,754	447	605

It is estimated that there are approximately 8,000 pupils with special needs fully integrated at primary level. There are no figures available for children with special needs at post-primary level.

The Deputy will appreciate that the number of children attending specialist remedial, resource or visiting teachers varies from teacher to teacher depending on the degree of learning difficulty, the specific disability of the pupils concerned and also on the number of schools, and distance between each school, in each caseload. Therefore, the following table indicates an approximate estimate of the number of pupils concerned.

Category of Teacher	No of Teacher Posts	Estimate of Numbers of Pupils
Remedial teachers (primary)	1,302	52,080
Resource teachers (primary)	104	1,040

The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the visiting teacher service is not readily available.

My Department responds to requests for additional assistance in respect of children with special educational needs from the schools concerned. These requests specify the specific needs of the particular pupils and identify the specialist support requirements.

As Minister for Education and Science I have to consider how best to deploy available resources across a wide spectrum of needs. I have to determine priorities and allocate resources to best effect. I can assure the Deputy that the needs of each school seeking additional specialist support is considered when decisions relating to the allocation of additional support teachers are being made.

In late 1996, my Department commissioned the Education Research Centre, Drumcondra to undertake a study in regard to the provision of remedial teaching services in schools.

This survey focused, among other matters, on the number of pupils receiving remedial instruction; how pupils were selected for remedial teaching; the relevance of programmes being followed; and the progress being made by pupils.

The survey was conducted in a number of schools that were selected at random during 1997. The report of the survey has recently beeen received in my Department and my officials are studying its contents at present.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the summary report of this remedial study will be released for publication shortly.

Richard Bruton

Question:

457 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary or pre-school children referred for assessment of a special education need in the most recent year for which data is available; the number assessed; the number awaiting assessment; the average waiting time; and if he will give these figures nationally and for counties Dublin, Cork and Galway. [18745/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The latest year for which casework statistics from my Department's psychological service have been finally collated is the school year 1996-97. During that year 13 of the psychologists employed by the Department provided a service to primary schools designated as disadvantaged in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. A psychological service was not provided by my Department to primary schools in the Galway area nor to pre-school children.

During 1996-97, 226 children were referred to and assessed by my Department's psychologists in respect of possible special educational needs. This is the national statistic since, as I have explained, the psychological service was only available in a limited number of primary schools.

Richard Bruton

Question:

459 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of additional teachers and the number of additional special needs assistants which would be necessary to meet the appointment ratios for pupils with special needs as outlined in the recommendation of SERC 1993; and if he will indicate, in respect of each of the classifications of need set out in these reports, the total number of pupils within this category of need, the total number of teachers and special needs assistants working with this category of pupil and the extra teachers and assistants needed in each category to achieve the recommended ratio. [18747/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. I have arranged for the information to be compiled and forwarded to the Deputy when available.