Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Dec 1991

Vol. 414 No. 4

Written Answers. - Deaf Children Teacher Service.

Michael Ferris

Ceist:

252 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Education if he has received a submission from the National Association for the Deaf concerning (a) a reduction in the visiting teacher service for deaf children, (b) the continued suspension of the special review committee established by his Department in 1990 and (c) other related matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education (Mr. Davern)

The National Association for the Deaf regularly corresponds and has discussions with my Department on educational matters such as those referred to by the Deputy.

In relation to (a), there is no question of a reduction in the service at present being provided to particular clinical groups, as will be seen from my predecessor's reply to Question No. 71 on 30 October 1991.

With regard to (b), I take it the Deputy is referring to the committee to review the 1972 report on The Education of Hearing Impaired Children. The position here is that the report of the Primary Education Review Body recommended the establishment of a special committee to examine and report on special education generally and such a committee has now been established.

As the committee's brief includes consideration of all children with special needs, including those with hearing impairment, it was decided that it would be inappropriate that two such review groups should function at the same time. Instead, it has been arranged that the group with the broader remit will proceed and that submissions to the committee on hearing impaired children will be considered as contributions to the wider study. It is intended, also, that the latter committee can resume their deliberations when the special committee has reported.

I should emphasise that the foregoing developments, and the reasons for them, were fully explained to all the members of the review committee, including the representative from the National Association for the Deaf.