April 27 2010

Parliamentary Questions

• Number of children who have been assessed and diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder in the mid-Leinster region in the past five years
• Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in Laois and Offaly and waiting lists for therapy services and assessment
• Responsibility of Justice Minister for Disability Policy
• Savings from ending disability allowance
• Qualifying criteria for Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Full-time SNA and Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Funds allocated to a school in Limerick
• Supports provided by NCSE
• SNA posts cut in Central Dublin

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• 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. 

• Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in Laois and Offaly and waiting lists for therapy services and assessment

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 the early intervention team in County Laois; the number of children with a diagnosis of ASD currently receiving therapy by the early intervention team 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 ASD currently on waiting lists for assessment from an early intervention team in County Offaly; the number of children with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder currently on waiting lists for therapy from an early intervention team in County Laois; the number of children with a diagnosis of ASD currently on waiting lists for therapy from an early intervention team in County Offaly; the approximate time frame that children with autistic spectrum disorder may expect to wait for assessment and therapy from an early intervention team in County Laois; the approximate time frame that children with autistic spectrum disorder may expect to wait for assessment and therapy from an early intervention team 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. 

• Responsibility of Justice Minister for Disability Policy

Deputy David Stanton (FG): asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, further to Parliamentary Question No. 488 of 20 April 2010, the responsibilities of his Department in respect of formulating, implementing and overseeing policy in relation to disability issues and the national disability strategy; if he and his Department will retain these responsibilities following the recent reconfiguration of Government Departments; Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Deputy John Moloney): As indicated in my response to Question No. 205 of 18 November 2009 from theDeputy, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform co-ordinates Government policyon the National Disability Strategy and provides the Secretariat to both the Senior OfficialsGroup on Disability and the National Disability Strategy Stakeholder Monitoring Group. TheDepartment of the Taoiseach chairs both Groups. And, as indicated by An Taoiseach in theHouse on 23 March 2010, the responsibilities of my Department in relation to disability arebeing transferred to the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. The necessaryTransfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions Order will be madeby the Government in the near future. 

• Savings from ending disability allowance

Deputy Leo Varadkar (FG): asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the savings that would be made from ending payments of one parent family payment, disability allowance, disability benefit and deserted wives benefit to persons participating on community employment schemes;

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív): The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes in its report published last year estimated that savings from this measure would be €100 million each year when fully implemented. This estimate is based on discontinuing concurrent entitlement to one parent family payment, disability allowance, illness benefit and deserted wife’s benefit as well as invalidity pension and widow/er’s pensions. 

• Qualifying criteria for Domiciliary Care Allowance

Deputy David Stanton (FG): asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the conditions ODD, ADHD, sensory integration dysfunction and dyspraxia or a combination of these conditions are considered by his Department as conditions which meet the medical criteria for a child to qualify for domiciliary care allowance;

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív): In order to qualify for domiciliary care allowance a child must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively full-time so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months. Eligibility for domiciliary care allowance is not based primarily on the medical or psychological condition, but on the resulting lack of function of body or mind necessitating the degree of extra care and attention required. Each application is assessed on an individual basis taking account of the evidence submitted. As such it is not possible to say if a child with ODD, ADHD or any other intellectual disability will qualify for a payment under the scheme. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds, the applicant may submit additional information and/or ask for the case to be reviewed by a different Medical Assessor. Where a person is not satisfied with the decision of a Deciding Officer they may appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. 

• Full-time SNA and Domiciliary Care Allowance

Deputy David Stanton (FG): asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in view of a child satisfying the additional care criteria of the domiciliary care allowance scheme, the provision of a full-time special needs assistant for a child would be considered by his Department to illustrate the extra level of care required by a child;

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív): The position of a full time special needs assistant for a child is a matter for the Department of Education and Science.  

• Funds allocated to a school in Limerick

Deputy Michael Noonan (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that an allocation made to a school (details supplied) in County Limerick is inadequate and that on its present spending profile funds will run out in October 2010; if her further attention has been drawn to the fact that further staff cutbacks are not possible; if she will provide the school with the necessary additional funds it requires;

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. 

• Supports provided by NCSE

Deputy Seán Ó’Fearghaíl (FF): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding supports at a school; if she will reinstate these supports;

Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Mary Coughlan): 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 resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department’s criteria in allocating such support. The NCSE is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. The review of SNA allocations being carried out by the NCSE, through its network of SENOs is with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts are properly met. This is an exercise in identifying surplus posts which are in the system and which do not meet the current criteria — posts that have been retained when a pupil’s care needs have diminished or where the pupil has left. At the same time the NCSE is allocating additional posts where the criteria are met. The terms and criteria for the SNA scheme have not changed. The Deputy may be aware that the NCSE has introduced an appeals process whereby schools and parents, where appropriate, may seek to appeal the decision of a SENO in relation to the allocation of resources. Information regarding the appeals process is available on the NCSE’s website at www.ncse.ie. I want to take this opportunity to state that the NCSE will continue to support schools, parents, children and teachers and resources will continue to be allocated to schools to meet children’s needs in line with my Department’s policy. In cases where adjustments to the staffing allocation in a school are necessary, the NCSE will liaise with the school authorities regarding the adjustment process. 

• SNA posts cut in Central Dublin

Deputy Joe Costello (L): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science the circumstances surrounding the post of special needs assistants in primary schools; the number and location of schools here which have lost SNAs; the number of SNA posts lost in Dublin Central; the effect of the current review of SNA posts on the schools in Dublin Central; if a school (details supplied) in Dublin 7 is adversely affected by the cutbacks on SNA posts;

Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Mary Coughlan): 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 resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department’s criteria in allocating such support. The NCSE is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. The review of SNA allocations being carried out by the NCSE, through its network of SENOs is with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts are properly met. This is an exercise in identifying surplus posts which are in the system and which do not meet the current criteria — posts that have been retained when a pupil’s care needs have diminished or where the pupil has left. At the same time the NCSE is allocating additional posts where the criteria are met. The terms and criteria for the SNA scheme have not changed. The specific information requested by the Deputy regarding SNA posts in the Dublin Central region is not readily available in the format requested. I have arranged for the details supplied to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. I want to take this opportunity to state that the NCSE will continue to support schools, parents, children and teachers and resources will continue to be allocated to schools to meet children’s needs in line with my Department’s policy.

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