Funding for Students with Special Needs from the Department of Education and Science
In addition to the allocation of resource teachers, learning support and special needs assistants, the Department of Education and Science administers a number of application-based funds for students with special needs.
Primary school funding supports for the use of assistive technology is generally dealt with under the Computer Applications for Individual Pupils with Special Needs at Primary Level.
The scheme for the allocation of teaching and special needs assistant resources for students with special educational needs is dealt with in Circular SP ED 09/04: Allocation of Resources for Pupils with Special Educational Needs in National Schools. An application for this funding scheme must be supported by the school principal, teacher and other personnel who might be dealing with the student eg speech and language therapist and submitted to the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) with responsibility for the school.
Funding of assistive technology and related resources for post-primary students is dealt with primarily under the Circular M14/05: 'Grants towards the purchase of equipment for pupils with a disability '. The scheme applies to a student in secondary level education with a physical disability or a student who has a communications disability that makes ordinary communication through speech and writing impossible. The purpose of the scheme is to provide the pupils in question with equipment of direct educational benefit to them. Examples of such equipment include computers, tape-recorders, word processors, induction loops, Braille equipment and software.
The equipment, as a rule, remains the property of the school and will be available for allocation to subsequent pupils with similar disabilities. Equipment purchased should normally be kept in the school. However, with the consent of the management authority, the pupil may use the equipment at home. Where the school has no further requirement for the equipment, the Department may allocate it to another school in the interests of meeting needs to the greatest extent possible.
The amount of grant available in respect of any pupil is the cost of the equipment subject (in general) to a maximum grant of €3,800. In certain circumstances, where the nature of the equipment warrants it, a higher grant may be considered.
Following the establishment of the National Council for Special Education, all applications for special equipment must be submitted by school management authorities to the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) assigned with responsibility for the school.
Support services for students with disabilities at third level have improved greatly in recent years. Each university has a Disability Officer and each Institute of Technology has an Access Officer whose role is to support students with disabilities. This support usually begins with an assessment of the student's particular needs. The Disability/Access Officer and student will discuss the nature of the course chosen, how the disability may impact on participation on the course, and services or equipment that may be needed. Funding for such provisions is generally provided through the Special Fund for Students with Disabilities; however, the student must be attending higher education on a full-time basis in order to qualify for such funding.
For more information on the Special Fund for Students with Disabilities, contact:
The National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education
Higher Education Authority
Marine House
Clanwilliam Court
Dublin 2
Tel: 01-661 2748
Email: access@hea.ie
Website: www.hea.ie/en/node/1125
The National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland (NUI) may award a special grant of up to €500 to a student with a disability attending a course at a NUI college.
For more information, contact:
Registrar
National University of Ireland
49 Merrion Square
Dublin 2
Tel: 01-439 2424
Website: www.nui.ie
AHEAD
AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability, is an independent, non-profit organisation working to promote full access to and participation in Third Level education for students with disabilities in Ireland. AHEAD has useful information including Accessing Third Level Education - What You Need to Know. For more information, contact:
AHEAD
PO Box 30
East Hall
UCD
Carysfort Avenue
Blackrock
Co Dublin
Tel: 01-716 4396
Email: ahead@ahead.ie
Website: www.ahead.ie
