Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
625. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 193 of 18 December 2019, the provisions over and above that are available to children with hearing loss made for the 49 children in counties Mayo and Roscommon that had their hearing misdiagnosed by the HSE; the specific resources set aside for the children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22507/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a meeting between my Department and the HSE in September 2018, it was agreed that where children identified by the HSE Audiology Review have a special educational need arising from their hearing impairment, my Department would provide support, in line with its various schemes. Supports provided would be based on children's individual needs, irrespective of the cause of those needs.
Where supports under my Department’s various schemes were refused due to ineligibility, funding has in certain cases been provided by the HSE. It is acknowledged that this led to delays in the provision of supports however. In conjunction with the HSE, my Department reviewed the procedures involved where the schools of children identified by this review wish to apply for supports, in order to establish if there was a more efficient way of making provision.
On foot of this review, the Minister approved, as an exceptional measure, the provision of certain special educational needs supports outside the terms of my Department’s schemes.
In July of this year, both the parents of 9 children and their schools were informed of this.
Where the school wishes to apply for assistive technology for these pupils in future, it should do so in the usual way, i.e. by submitting the relevant application form to the local SENO or Visiting Teacher. Applications received will be reviewed as a matter of priority, and the SENO will provide my Department with a recommendation as early as possible.
Where the SENO recommends that the application meets the criteria, funding will be provided to the school through the assistive technology scheme, as normal.
Where the application does not meet the criteria however, and it is established that the equipment in question has not already been funded either by my Department or the HSE, then funding may be provided by my Department, outside of the terms of the scheme.
The equipment for which funding may be provided is as follows:
- Laptops
- Tablet computers
- Soundfield systems
- Radio Aids
The schools in question were advised that if they had previously applied for equipment under the Assistive Technology scheme, and had the application refused and if the equipment was not subsequently funded by the HSE, the school should write directly to Special Education Section of my Department, with a copy of the refusal letter, and request a review of the previously refused application.
The school should only submit applications where the specific equipment is recommended in a professional report and the school’s view is that it is essential for the pupil’s education.
Funding for chair silencers (or “Chair Sox”) is not provided under any of my Department’s schemes. If silencers are required however, and have not been separately funded by the HSE, then the school may apply to my Department for funding towards their purchase. The application for funding can be made in writing, and a quotation should be attached to same.
Assurances have previously been made in respect of additional teaching support. The schools in question were also requested to notify Special Education Section on the level and extent of special education teaching support provided to these children from the school’s allocation of hours since the introduction of the Special Education Teaching allocation model in 2017, as well as details of the level and extent of support that is proposed to provide for the 2020/21 school year. This process of engagement is still ongoing.
