The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports.
My officials have been advised by the NCSE that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is currently receiving full-time access to a special needs assistant on a shared basis. The NCSE has also confirmed that an application was made for resource teaching support on 7 October 2005 and the pupil was granted an additional two hours. This brings the total resource teaching support that the pupil is receiving to five hours per week.
If it is the case that the school authorities wish to discuss issues relating to the pupil's special educational needs, it should make contact with its local special educational needs organiser, SENO. Schools have been notified by the NCSE of the contact details for the SENO attached to each school.