Vol. 496 No. 7
286 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make a provision for a classroom assistant for the special class in St. Oliver's national school, Ballychasheen, Killarney, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23983/98]
I recently announced a major new initiative in the special education area under which all children assessed as having special educational needs will be entitled to an automatic response to those needs. The level and nature of the response in each case will depend on the assessed needs of the child or group of children involved. The response may take the form of a full-time or part-time resource teacher or child care support depending on the number of children involved and the nature of their needs.
The school in question is one of a number of schools which have applied to my Department for the services of a special needs assistant. All such applications will now be considered in the context of this new arrangement. I expect that additional allocations of special needs assistant posts will commence in the near future and continue through 1999.
