Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 1 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 1

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Pat Carey

Ceist:

223 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will allocate a second special classroom assistant to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11; if he will examine the qualifications of an English trained teacher to establish if it is suitable for this person to be appointed to the post of resource teacher in the school; if he will make arrangements to have two special chairs provided for two children with special needs in the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25566/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers.

In October of this year my Department allocated a special needs assistant post to the school in question to cater for two pupils with special needs attending the school.

Since then, the school has applied for additional special needs assistant support. The school's application is currently being considered by my Department's inspectorate. My Department will be in touch with the school as soon as the inspectorate has completed its assessment of the school's needs.

I will arrange to have my Department examine the position of the English trained teacher in terms of suitability to undertake resource teacher duties.

My Department has not received an application from the school authorities for special chairs to be provided for the pupils in question. Any such application should be forwarded to my Department's primary building unit at the Department of Education and Science, Tullamore.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

224 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 635 of 23 March 1999, the progress, if any, made in connection with approval for a transition year for the CRC special school, Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25567/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

Earlier this year my Department considered an application from the school in question for the introduction of a transition year programme for a number of its pupils. The school caters for pupils with physical and multiple disabilities, up to the age of 18 years.

In certain circumstances, such as in the case of pupils studying for State examinations, my Department may sanction an additional year in a special school. However, it is generally the case that where suitable alternative educational provision is available, an additional year would not be sanctioned.

The proposal put forward by the school centred on an additional year for five particular students who would normally have left at the end of the last school year. However, as there is a vocational training centre on the same campus and the programme being proposed for the pupils in question was similar to that available in the vocational training centre, it was decided that the introduction of a transition year programme as proposed would be a duplication of existing supports.

I should point out, however, that three of the five pupils involved in the original application were subsequently granted an additional year in the school based on an assessment of their individual special educational needs.