Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2018
192. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the National Council for Special Education will have finalised the form for assistant technology to allow it to pass on an application by a person (details supplied) to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29246/18]
View answerUnder the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. Equipment is provided under this scheme for children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment which they do not already have, or which cannot be provided for them through the school's existing IT provision.
The type of equipment provided under the Assistive Technology scheme is varied, and includes audiological supports for students with hearing impairment, braille equipment for students with visual impairment, and computer equipment with associated modified software for students with physical or severe communicative disabilities.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Education Needs Officers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for assistive technology support.
Schools make application directly to the SENO, providing details of the student's special educational needs or disability, including details of the approach taken by the school in making relevant interventions. Professional reports (from psychologists or occupational therapists, for example) must be submitted by the school along with the application. These reports must have a recent and comprehensive professional assessment of the nature and extent of disability, and outline that the equipment is essential for the pupil to access the curriculum.
SENOs will review the application and professional reports, in order to establish whether the criteria of the scheme have been met. They will then make a recommendation to my Department as to whether or not assistive technology is required: and based on this recommendation, my Department's officials will decide on the level of grant, if any, to be provided. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making such recommendations, as set out in Circular 0010/2013.
Due to obligations under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a temporary pause was applied to the processing of Assistive Technology applications. This pause was necessitated by the sensitive nature of personal data submitted by schools along with applications, and the requirement for a Joint Data Controller Agreement between the NCSE and my Department. Pending this agreement, the application form was unavailable on the NCSE website.
My officials advise that the Joint Data Controller Agreement has now been finalised, the new application form is available on the NCSE website, and that schools may submit applications to SENOs, with a view to having same processed in time for the commencement of the next school year in September.
