Desmond J. O'Malley
Ceist:14 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of his Department's areas of responsibility in relation to pupils with special needs. [10237/95]
Written Answers - Pupils with Special Needs.
Limerick East): Responsibility for the provision of educational services for pupils with special needs is primarily a matter for the Department of Education. The main responsibility of the health boards is to provide a broad range of specialist support services, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services. Pupils with special needs have benefited in recent years from the increase in specialist staff recruited to the community based services by the health boards and voluntary agencies.
The report of the Special Education Review Committee recommended the establishment of an interdepartmental co-ordinating committee between the Departments of Education and Health, which would address issues of mutual concern relating to the provision of services to pupils with special needs. My Department has recently been in touch with the Department of Education regarding the establishment of this committee. I anticipate that there will be a positive development in this matter shortly.