Vol. 514 No. 5
193 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the urgent need to have a replacement special needs teacher appointed to assist a deaf person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [4714/00]
I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers and I can assure the Deputy that I am anxious that the child in question receives the support he requires as soon as possible.
In response to a recent question from the Deputy on this matter, I explained the circumstances which had given rise to the current difficulty in providing a special support service for the child in question. I also indicated the arrangements which are being made by my Department to address this issue.
I am hopeful that my Department will be in a position to appoint a suitably qualified teacher to cater for the child in question and other children in the area in the near future. In the meantime, I am arranging for a visiting teacher from a neighbouring area to visit the child as soon as possible. The manager of the visiting teacher service, will arrange for this visiting teacher to liaise with the child's class teacher, the remedial teacher and the resource teacher in the school to advise them on how best to cater for the child's needs pending the appointment of a dedicated visiting teacher for the area.
