Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 14 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 5

Written Answers. - Hospital Schools.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

387 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has for the setting up of further hospital schools; and the hospitals at which these schools are in operation at the present time to cater for children who are hospitalised regularly or who have to be hospitalised for lengthy periods of time. [25682/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

My Department will give positive consideration to any application for the establishment of hospital based education services. All such applications are considered on the basis of the assessed level of need. The level of provision depends on the number of children involved, the nature of the illness or disability and the length of time the children are likely to stay in hospital. In some instances the provision of part-time teaching hours can be adequate.

At present, there are six special schools in hospital settings, as follows:

County	Hospital
Dublin	St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh
Dublin	Temple Street Children's Hospital
Dublin	Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Dun Laoghaire
Dublin	Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin
Dublin	Tallaght Hospital
Cork	Cork University Hospital-St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital.

In the case of the education services provided in Cork University Hospital-St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that an additional teacher post was allocated by my Department on 11 November 2000.

In addition to the above hospital schools, part-time teaching hours are made available to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, St. Joseph's Adolescent Unit, St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview and Sligo General Hospital.

The educational needs of children in hospitals and the issue of how best to address these needs within available resources will continue to be kept under regular review in my Department.