June 15 2010

Parliamentary Questions

• Taxing of disablement pension and payments
• Number of children who have been assessed and diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in the Mid-Leinster region in the past five years
• Number of children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder currently receiving therapy in Counties Laois and Offaly
• Posts currently vacant including those in which therapists are on maternity leave on the early intervention team in Counties Laois and Offaly
• Ireland Aid’s disability strategy
• Providing additional time to candidates for State exams based on their disability
• SNAs in schools in Co. Clare

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• Taxing of disablement pension and payments

Deputy Brian O’Shea (FG): asked the Minister for Finance the proposals he has in regard to the taxing of disablement pension gratuities and payments;

Minister for Finance (Deputy Brian Lenihan): I understand that the Deputy is referring to the tax treatment of disablement payments from the Department of Social Protection. The position is that where the Department of Social Protection pays a disablement pension to an individual, such pension is taxable. However, where the Department of Social Protection does not pay a disablement pension to an individual but instead pays that individual a ‘one off’ payment in respect of that individual’s disablement, then such ‘one off’ payment is not taxable.

• Number of children who have been assessed and diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in the Mid-Leinster region in the past five years

Deputy Olwyn Enright (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children who have been assessed and diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in the Mid-Leinster region in the past five years;

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): I wish to advise the Deputy that due to industrial action affecting the Health Service Executive it is not possible for the Executive to supply the information requested. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

• Number of children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder currently receiving therapy in Counties Laois and Offaly

Deputy Olwyn Enright (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder currently receiving therapy including psychology, occupational, speech and language and physiotherapy by Early Intervention Team in County Laois; the number of children with a diagnosis of ASD currently receiving therapy by Early Intervention Team in County Offaly; the number of children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder currently receiving physiotherapy in post early intervention service in County Laois; the number of children with a diagnosis of ASD currently receiving therapy in post early intervention services in County Offaly; the number of children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder currently on waiting lists for assessment from an Early Intervention Team in County Laois; the number of children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder currently on waiting lists for assessment from an Early Intervention Team in County Offaly; the number of

children with suspected Autistic Spectrum Disorder currently on waiting lists for assessment from post early intervention service in County Laois; the number of children with suspected Autistic Spectrum Disorder currently on waiting lists for post early intervention service in County Offaly;

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): I wish to advise the Deputy that due to industrial action affecting the Health Service Executive it is not possible for the Executive to supply the information requested. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

• Posts currently vacant including those in which therapists are on maternity leave on the early intervention team in Counties Laois and Offaly

Deputy Olwyn Enright (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of posts currently vacant including those in which therapists are on maternity leave on the early intervention team in County Laois; the number of posts currently vacant including those where therapists are on maternity leave on the early intervention team in County Offaly;

Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney): I wish to advise the Deputy that, due to industrial action affecting the Health Service Executive, it is not possible for the Executive to supply the information requested. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

• Ireland Aid’s disability strategy

Deputy Billy Timmins (FG): asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of disability funding as a percentage of overall funding annually since 2007; the details of Ireland Aid’s disability strategy;

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deputy Peter Power): Ireland’s strategy to deal with disability in international development is guided by the White Paper on Irish Aid which recognises the inter-relationship between poverty and disability. Disabled people are more vulnerable to poverty and its effects and poor people are more at risk of becoming disabled through, for example, unsafe living environments; undernutrition; lack of access to immunisation; exposure to landmines; poor road safety; contracting communicable diseases and inadequate treatment when infected and through unsafe birthing services that disable both mothers and newborns that survive. Ireland’s development cooperation programme mainstreams disability and embraces the World Health Organisation’s concept of disability as a complex phenomenon, which requires action across a diverse range of activities in order that disability is effectively prevented and to ensure that disabled people are not excluded or exploited. Also we work to ensure, where possible, that services are provided to assist disabled people to deal with their particular disabilities and the limitations associated with these. Since 2007, Ireland’s investment of over €100 million each year in health, HIV and communicable diseases, focussing on the world’s poorest countries, is a substantial contribution to prevention of disability by making essential first-line services, vaccines and commodities available. Further, by providing these peripheral primary services, disabled people have better access to care. Ireland’s support to basic education in developing countries emphasises access by disabled and marginalised people and through support for better governance in its Programme Countries, we advocate for stronger voice and representation by marginalised and excluded groups, including disabled people and those caring for the disabled. Ireland also provides support to programmes that directly assist disabled people and their carers to deal with disabilities and its consequences. This is mainly delivered as support to Nongovernment Organisations through the Civil Society Fund. Support for disability work amounted to 6.4% of this fund in 2007, 7.9% in 2008 and 7.4% in 2009. Furthermore, Ireland supports Concern, Goal, Trócaire, Christian Aid and Self Help Africa, all of which undertake health and human rights work that benefits disabled people and this work accounts for approximately 30% of their budgets. Additionally, Irish Aid has a major programme and partnership with the International Labour Organisation which focuses on assisting people with disability and advocating on legislation for disability in Africa. This programme also focuses on assisting people with disability to gain employment and set up their own businesses. There is also a particular emphasis on disabled women. This programme has gained an enviable international reputation and is a flagship programme of its kind. As a mainstreamed issue, it is not possible to present a specific amount of spending on disability as a percentage of overall Irish Aid funding. However I am arranging to have a list of discrete disability projects and programmes for 2009 sent to the Deputy. The full list for 2007 and 2008 are outlined in the Annual Reports for those years which have been placed in the Dáil Library.

• Providing additional time to candidates for State exams based on their disability

Deputy Brian Hayes (FG): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if, in consultation with the State Examination Commission, she has considered providing additional time to some candidates for State exams based on the severity of their disability; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this applies for State exams in the UK where, in exceptional circumstances, additional extra time may be provided to the candidates;

Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. The Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. A range of accommodations are provided to enable students with special needs to access the Certificate examinations. For example enlarged print, Braille translation, modified questions, use of a scribe, a reader, a personal assistant, a tape recorder or word processor, may be allowed depending on needs. Ten minutes extra time per scheduled hour of each question paper may be allowed where the candidate needs the help of a scribe or would otherwise be unable to make adequate use of the mechanical aids provided for recording the answers or is visually impaired*. The scheme was introduced following the report of an expert advisory group, and the introduction enabled opportunities to be provided for exemptions where a candidate was not in a position to demonstrate achievement in a core area of assessment. At the time, the Advisory Group examined the issue generally of extra time for students, but considered that the amount of time needed could vary substantially by disability category and that there was a fundamental difficulty in developing a system which would facilitate equitable access but not confer an unfair advantage in any case. The Group therefore recommended that the time element of the examination should be made less critical, and that an additional 15-20 minutes should be available for all students in certain examinations. This has been implemented since 2000 by extending the core timetable for Irish, English, History and Geography examinations since 2000. The extra time entitlement for students at * above is offset by this timetabled element.

• SNAs in schools in Co. Clare

Deputy Pat Breen (FG): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 613 of 26 January 2010 and 441 of 25 May 2010, if he will report on the number of special needs assistants employed in schools in County Clare as of the 31 May 2010;

Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): The information in relation to the number of Special Needs Assistants is produced at specified time intervals by my Department. The next specified time interval is 30th June. I will arrange for officials in my Department to forward the requested details to the Deputy once the information is available after that date. As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating Special Needs Assistants to primary and post primary schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department’s criteria in allocating such support.

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