Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 7 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 2

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

585 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 183 of 6 December 2001, progress has been made in the case; if a person (details supplied) is now in full-time education; if the psychological report on this person has been examined; the steps which have been taken to deal with the conclusion and recommendations of the report; the reason for the delay in dealing with this matter; and the reason the case was not dealt with in a proactive way. [7661/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

My Department allocates concessionary teaching hours to second level schools to cater for special needs pupils enrolled therein. Applications for such support are made to my Department by the relevant school authorities. Each case is considered on its merits and determined on the advice of the psychological service. The authorities of the school at which the pupil to which the Deputy refers was attending applied for additional teaching resources to cater for a number of pupils with identified special needs. My Department approved one whole-time teacher equivalent to cater for the educational needs of these pupils, including the pupil to which the Deputy refers.

A request has been received from the school authorities for an increase in the allocation made in respect of the pupil in question. The advice of the national educational psychological service has been sought in this case and I understand that City Technical School, Kilkenny has agreed to enrol the child from 11 March 2002.