Vol. 505 No. 7
103 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if a resource teacher will be appointed in the 1999-2000 academic year for Raheen national school, Clonroche, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, whose pupils include many with learning difficulties and several highly intelligent children needing additional stimulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14647/99]
I recently announced a major new initiative in the special education area under which all children in the primary system assessed as having special educational needs arising from a disability will be entitled to an automatic response to those needs.
The level and nature of the response in each case will depend on the assessed needs of the child or group of children involved. The response may take the form of full-time or part-time resource teacher support or child care support, or both, depending on the number of children involved and the nature of their needs.
An application for special support has been received from the school in question and my Department's inspectorate has been requested to investigate the level of support required by the school. A decision on this request will be made as soon as the inspector's report has been received in my Department. The school will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.
