asked the Minister for Education whether he intends to introduce proposals for legislation to make provision for the elementary education of blind children up to the age of 16 years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Education of Blind Children.
There are at present two institutions which provide elementary education for blind children—one for boys in Drumcondra and one for girls at Merrion. The teachers of these institutions are recognised national teachers, and the schools receive grants from the Department of Education. These grants are subject to increase according to the numbers of children in the schools. It is understood that, in addition to the grants made by the Department of Education, the Department of Local Government and Public Health also gives capitation grants for each pupil in school residence. The duty of ensuring that blind children shall be enabled to benefit by the education supplied in the above institutions devolves not on the Department of Education, but on the boards of health of the counties and county boroughs in which the parents of such children reside. I have no proposals for further legislation to lay before the Oireachtas.