Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2021
385. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she will request her officials to investigate, review and assist in the case of a child (details supplied) in order to examine a mechanism to meet the child’s need for assistive technology by her Department. [33388/21]
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 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 applications 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.
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.
While the qualifying criteria for Assistive Technology support are set out in the Department’s Circular 0010/2013, the Report of the Special Education Review Committee - also known as the SERC Report - and the Department’s Circular 08/02 provide the basis on which the Department sets the criteria for special education supports for children with special educational needs.
Circular 08/02 has been superseded by more recent circulars with regard to the allocation of Special Education Teaching support, but the criteria in relation to the categorisation of pupils with a Specific Learning Disability, contained in Appendix II of that circular, remain unchanged.
My officials have reviewed the case referenced by the Deputy and noted that the pupil’s literacy and numeracy scores are not at or below the 2nd percentile on a standardised norm referenced tests, as set out in the circular and that the test used does not meet the requirements set by my Department for this scheme.
Please note that should additional information become available, which provides further clarification regarding the requirement for assistive technology for in accordance with the terms of the scheme, it will be open to the school to resubmit an application for consideration.
