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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Oct 1998

Vol. 494 No. 4

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

415 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science if an investigation into the circumstances whereby a person (details supplied) in County Cork, who attended Mayfield Community School, was not allowed special facilities for his Junior Certificate in 1997 because of his dyslexia and was subsequently allowed leave school unable to read or write; and the facilities his Department can offer this person in order to remedy the problem. [18374/98]

Special arrangements are made for candidates who would have a difficulty in communicating what they know to an examiner because of a physical disability, including visual and hearing impairments, or of a specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia. The special arrangements are intended to remove, as far as possible, the impact of the disability on the candidate's performance and thus enable the candidate to demonstrate his or her level of attainment, as distinct from attempting to compensate in any way, for a lack of ability or knowledge on the part of the candidate.

The decision of my Department in the case referred to by the Deputy was appealed to the Independent Special Arrangements Appeals Committee. The majority of this committee and its chairperson are external to my Department and it exists to consider individual cases in a thoroughly impartial manner. I am informed that following consideration of this case the committee upheld the original decision.

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