AQW 26333/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 29/04/2025
Answered On Date: 16/05/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education for his assessment of how appropriate the practice of seeking evidence from community paediatricians, rather than General Practitioners, in order to determine the transport needs for children with a statement of special educational need.

Answer:

The Education Authority seeks Medical Advice for the purposes of a statutory assessment of a child's special educational needs, as specified in The Education (SEN) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 (regulations 6 and 8), which state that advice should include features which appear to be relevant to the child's educational needs and should be sought from the health and social services authority, who shall obtain the advice from a registered medical practitioner.