Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 1 Feb 2001

Vol. 529 No. 3

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

70 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Education and Science the supports in place for school children with special needs especially children integrated into non-special schools; the availability of such supports; the waiting period for speech therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1167/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Arising from a Government decision of October 1998 all children with special needs at primary level now have an automatic entitlement to a response to their needs.

Children with special needs who attend ordinary schools on a fully integrated basis are supported by the resource teacher service and the special needs assistant service. Since October 1998 the number of full-time equivalent resource teachers supporting children with special needs in integrated settings in primary schools has increased from 104 to more than 750. The number of special needs assistants allocated over the same period has risen from 299 to more than 1,600. My Department is continuing to allocate additional resource teachers and special needs assistants in response to identified needs.

My Department also provides funding to meet the special equipment needs of children with disabilities, including children attending school on a fully integrated basis. I have secured an additional £1.75 million in the current year to address the special equipment needs of such children. This allocation is in addition to the £987,000 already available to fund the purchase of computers and other equipment for the children in question.

I am aware that there have been ongoing difficulties in relation to the delivery of adequate speech therapy services to children within the school system. I have brought my concerns in this regard to the attention of the Minister for Health and Children.

The Department of Health and Children has commissioned Dr. Peter Bacon to undertake a workforce planning study on therapists, including speech therapists. The Higher Education Authority is represented on the steering group for the study and I understand that a report is expected in the near future.

As an interim measure, in response to the current shortage of speech and language therapists, arrangements have been made to increase the intake into the programme at Trinity College, Dublin, to 29 for the current academic year.

My Department is continuing to liaise with the Department of Health and Children on this matter and will give positive consideration to any recommendations in relation to the training of additional speech therapists which may arise from the review so as to ensure that adequate services are available to all children in schools who require them.