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Special Educational Needs.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004

Wednesday, 29 September 2004

Questions (170, 171)

Enda Kenny

Question:

352 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science if an application has been received in his Department by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo requesting the immediate sanctioning of five resource hours per week for a person who is autistic; if a decision has been made on whether these hours will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21244/04]

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Written answers

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved five hours resource teaching per week for the pupil in question.

The school authorities have recently been informed of this decision.

Phil Hogan

Question:

353 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Education and Science when a resource teacher will be appointed to a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21290/04]

View answer

I can confirm that applications for resource teaching support for pupils with special needs have been received from the school referred to by the Deputy.

The Deputy may be aware that my Department has recently developed a new weighted system for the allocation of teaching supports to pupils with special needs. An additional 350 teacher posts are being provided to facilitate the introduction of the new system. This system will involve general weighted allocation for all primary schools to cater for pupils with higher incidence special educational needs, that is, those with borderline mild and mild general learning disability, specific learning disability, and also those with learning support needs. It will also allow for individual allocations in respect of pupils with lower incidence special educational needs.

This new system will allow resources to be speedily allocated to pupils with disabilities on the basis of school based assessment.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the needs of the pupils in the school in question can be accommodated within existing resources.

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