Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2004
171 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science if a special needs assistant will be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18723/04]
View answerMy Department allocates resource teacher posts and special needs assistant posts to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for students with special educational needs. Applications for such supports are made to my Department by the relevant school authorities. Each application is considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the pupil or pupils involved and the nature and level of the support provided is determined on the advice of the psychological service.
An application seeking the continued allocation of resources to address the special educational needs of a number of students in the school, including the student to whom the Deputy refers, was submitted to my Department by the VEC concerned. Following examination of this application, my Department allocated an additional 43.40 teaching hours plus 82 special needs assistant hours per week for the 2004-2005 school year to address the needs of these students. It is a matter for the VEC to deploy this allocation and review this deployment in line with the evolving needs of the students concerned. If the VEC is of the view that the prevailing level of assessed special needs within the school is such as to be incapable of being addressed from within the approved allocation, my Department will be prepared to consider its concerns.
