I propose to take Questions Nos. 238, 239 and 240 together.
My Department does not have the projected statistical information of children entering primary level with special educational needs nor of the number of children of primary school age who have special educational needs.
A survey carried out in 1993 on behalf of the special education review committee indicated that, at that time, there were approximately 8,000 pupils with specific disabilities in mainstream national schools. This represented 1.5 per cent of the total enrolment at that time.
The level of support available to pupils with special educational needs depends on the nature and degree of each pupil's special educational need. Support teaching can be in the form of remedial teaching, resource teaching or support from the visiting teacher service. Pupils with specific care needs as a result of a disability may be allocated a special needs assistant either on a full or part-time basis. In addition, schools which have pupils with special educational needs enrolled may apply to my Department for funding for specialist equipment such as computers, radio aids etc.
The Deputy will be aware that arrangements have been put in place to expand the remedial teaching service to cover all schools with a pupilteacher ratio of 10:1 or more with effect from September 1999. I expect that approximately 1,465 remedial teacher posts will be in place in national schools by September 1999.
At present, there are 42 visiting teachers, 163 resource teachers and 564 special needs assistants providing additional support to pupils with special educational needs at primary level.