The facility for dyslexic children in Limerick city works with children from the age of seven and a half to those going to third level college who have dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADD and ADHD. The centre, which is run by Ms Marie Stubbings who is an expert in this area, is based in the old Barrington's Hospital. However, it must be provided with proper accommodation. As a new school will soon be built at Castletroy, I ask the Minister for Education and Science to consider locating this centre, which is privately run, there.
This centre is well run and is attended by 1,000 pupils not only from the mid-west but also from the south-west. As it is privately operated, pupils must pay £9 per hour. A support group called CHILD organises fund raising activities to ensure children whose parents cannot give financial support will be able to avail of this service. Three similar centres in Dublin receive funding, so I ask the Minister to bring this facility under the Department's remit. It would be a good idea to locate the centre in the new Castletroy school, in primary schools where the numbers of pupils are decreasing, as is happening in the city, or in the Mary Immaculate College.
People tend to confuse dyslexia and remedial teaching. Ms Marie Stubbings has met officials from the Department of Education and Science. Apart from giving help to the students who attend the centre, she also gives in-service courses to primary teachers. The Minister is doing a lot for children with specific learning difficulties, but the distinction must be made between dyslexia and remedial teaching. Remedial teaching helps slow learners rather than those with specialist learning difficulties. We all know there are dyslexic people who are geniuses. It is not that they are not bright, the simply have a disability which can be helped through the services of a trained person.
This director ran a service for the local education authority in south-west Wales; she was the project centre director there. It would be in the Minister's, the Department's, the parents' and the children's interests if the director's facility, under a new support structure called CHILD which will be established as a company, could come within the Department with funding and piloted in a particular building. I acknowledge that cannot happen immediately.
However, the facility got a reprieve for a couple of months as a result of a public meeting a few nights ago where the proprietors of the Old Barrington's Hospital stated they would delay reconstruction so that these children would not be out in the streets. Possibly they will be able to complete this school year but I am asking the Minister, in advance, to take on board the expertise and the tremendous service being offered bearing in mind that this service is offered not only to the mid-west. Five health boards, the Brothers of Charity of Bawnmore and two reputable psychologists have made referrals to Ms Stubbings and her staff. She would need at least 12 rooms. Perhaps this facility could be mainstreamed now. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.
We are telling the Department the expertise is there. Why reinvent the wheel? Why not take this on board when they are in dire need? This will not go away. I attended a meeting a few nights ago and the room was crowded; there were 200 people present and people could not even get in. They were parents who know their children are dyslexic and they are not prepared to sit around and wait. They know the facility is there and they want the Minister to take it on board and fund it.
Mr. Treacy: It is not and never has been my Department's policy to include provision for the accommodation needs of such a centre when planning school accommodation at post-primary level. A new community college is currently planned for Limerick city. However, there are no plans to include classrooms for children with dyslexia in this new development. I understand this centre provides a tuition service for children with dyslexia at primary and post-primary levels.
Under present arrangements, the educational needs of primary pupils with a specific learning disability, including those with dyslexia, should generally be capable of being met within the ordinary school system, with the support, where appropriate, of the remedial teacher service.
Fully qualified primary school teachers are trained to deal with a variety of reading problems, including those which are accompanied by perceptual difficulties. The level and quality of this training is one of the important issues to be addressed by the review group on primary teacher training. In addition, the special training programme for remedial teachers includes a module on specific learning disabilities. At present, there are 1,302 remedial teacher posts in the primary system. We recently announced our intention to extend the remedial teacher service to all first and second level schools with effect from September of this year.
Second level pupils with a specific learning disability are normally integrated into ordinary classes where they may receive additional support through the remedial teacher, guidance counsellor and subject teachers. Where more serious cases of difficulty arise, provision is made in one of four special schools and seven special classes dedicated to such children. These special facilities operate at a reduced pupil-teacher ratio of 11:1.
In 1998, the Department of Education and Science allocated £38,111 to the Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities – ACLD – to assist its administration service and to facilitate access to workshops and summer schools for children from disadvantaged areas. In the current year, an allocation of £50,000 is being made available to the ACLD. In addition, as an exceptional measure, my Department made a payment of £14,000 to the Dyslexia Support Centre, Georges Quay, Limerick, last year. My Department is not, however, in a position to make further assistance available.
The recent package for special needs children which we announced is available to children with a specific learning disability, including dyslexia. In addition, I have asked our officials to review current supports, including in-service teacher training for children with dyslexia. This review will be open to considering the full range of possible supports for the pupils involved.
A meeting took place today between a senior member of my Department's management team and the person to whom the Senator referred. Departmental officials will follow up on the issues raised at the meeting.
The Seanad adjourned at 7.45 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 18 February 1999.