Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 10 Feb 1999

Vol. 500 No. 2

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Ivor Callely

Question:

85 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of special schools; the capacity of these schools for children with special needs in Dublin 1, 3, 5 and 9; the waiting period to obtain placement in these schools; the research, if any, carried out to assess the actual capacity required to meet demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3576/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

There are 121 special schools throughout the country. Eleven of these are situated in Dublin 1, 3, 5 or 9 as follows:

School Name	Special Need catered for.
St Ciaran's Special School, St Canice's Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 9	Pupils with a mild general learning disability. Can cater for up to 143 pupils. 121 pupils currently enroled.
St Michael's House Special School, Dublin Road, Raheny, Dublin 5	Pupils with a moderate, severe or profound general learning disability. Can cater for up to 63 pupils. 59 are pupils currently enroled.
St Paul's Hospital School, Beaumont, Dublin 9	Pupils who are emotionally disturbed or who have behavioural difficulties. Operating at capacity. 49 pupils currently enroled.
Central Remedial Clinic Special School, Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3	Pupils with a physical disability. Operating at capacity. 106 pupils currently enroled. Some of these pupils have multiple disabilities.
St Thomas' Special School, Clonshaugh, Coolock, Dublin 5	Pupils from the Travelling Community. It can at present cater for up to 42 pupils. 41 pupils are currently enroled.
St Joseph's Special School, Drumcondra, Dublin 9	Pupils who are visually impaired. It can at present cater for 48 pupils. 39 pupils are currently enroled.
St. Columbas Day Care Centre, Great Strand Street,Dublin 1	Pupils from the Travelling Community. It can at present cater for up to 70 pupils. 48 pupils are currently enroled.
St. Laurence O'Toole School No. 2, Seville Place, Dublin 1	Non residential school for children who become alienated from the conventional school system and who are at risk of becoming involved in minor crime and delinquency. It can cater for 25 pupils. 22 pupils are currently enroled.
Henrietta Street Special Education Project, Henrietta St., Dublin 1	Non residential school for children who become alienated from the conventional school system and who are at risk of becoming involved in minor crime and delinquency. It can cater for 12 pupils. 10 pupils are currently enroled.
Temple Street Hospital N.S. Dublin 1	Hospital school for physically disabled. 32 pupils are currently enroled. The number of pupils enroled in this school can vary on an ongoing basis.
St. Francis Clinic N.S., Temple Street, Dublin 1	Pupils who are emotionally disturbed or who have behavioural difficulties. It can cater for up to 8 pupils. 7 pupils are currently enroled.

The enrolment policy of each special school is a matter for each board of management. From time to time, pupils can encounter delays in gaining admission to special schools. Such situations can result from accommodation problems; delays in securing necessary assessment reports; or delays in recruiting necessary teaching staff. My Department makes every effort to ensure that any such delays as kept to a minimum.

I am satisfied with the overall capacity of the special school system. My Department will sanction additional teacher posts where requested by special schools to accommodate increased pupil numbers. Special schools are established in central locations in response to the level of need presenting in the general area. There are a number of other special facilities in the Dublin area catering for children with special needs, including hearing impairment; autism; and specific learning disability. It is necessary to view each pupil's special need on an individual basis. For some children, the nature of the special need may be such that the child can perform quite successfully in an integrated setting with the support, where necessary, of a remedial or resource teacher. As indicated in my recent announcement of a major development in special education services, both the remedial and resource teacher services are undergoing major expansion.