Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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It is an disgrace that the Minister for Education and Science is not in the House to take this important matter, which was been raised by three of the four Members representing Dublin South-West. This matter came to the attention of the House both last week and the previous week. We are dealing with it in a serious way but the Minister for Education and Science is not present. That speaks volumes.

The loss of ten teaching posts and between eight to 12 SNAs from St. Joseph's Special School in Balrothery, Tallaght, will make it impossible for the school community to exist. What has been put forward by the National Council for Special Education is nothing short of a butchering exercise on the part of a quango that has been asked to do the dirty work of the Minister for Education and Science.

Many believe that the current review of SNA provision nationally is nothing more than an exercise in cutting back support to the most vulnerable children in our education system. Specifically in the case of St. Joseph's, I am asking the Minister for Education and Science to hold off on the impending removal of four SNAs from the school on Friday next, 19 February. I am also asking him to hold off on the removal of a further four SNAs by 12 April. I request that he and the NCSE work out a solution to this issue.

The Minister for Education and Science has the power to stop this madness. I ask him to visit the school in order that he might see, at first hand, the work of the school community. I also want him to see the profound educational disabilities that effect many children in this school. In such a school environment, teaching and care resources can make all the difference. The Minister's decision to effectively demolish the resources of this school make a mockery of the alleged commitment that is afforded children under the Education for People with Special Educational Needs Act. This is an Act the Oireachtas that is now frozen in time.

Taken together the impeding loss of SNAs with the possible reduction of ten teaching posts from the school represents an outrageous loss of essential teaching resources. It is implied that many of the children in this school could function perfectly well in mainstream school settings. This is patently untrue and is nothing short of nonsense. The NCSE has made it clear to the school authorities what exactly it requires in respect of documentation. The Minister should now order new psychological assessments if he considers that the information supplied is incomplete. The arguments surrounding documentation supplied to the NCSE constitute nothing more than a red herring. I and my colleagues demand a stay of execution. I reiterate that it is an a disgrace that the Minister is not present to take this matter.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I understand that, in the current climate, it is necessary to make both savings and cuts. However, it is indefensible to suggest that those savings and cuts should be made on the backs of the most vulnerable in society. I intend no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, when I agree with the assertion on the part of Deputy Brian Hayes that the Minister for Education and Science should be present.

I sincerely hope the Minister of State will not read out a script supplied by the Department of Education and Science which mirrors the contents of a letter I received earlier today from the Minister for Education and Science. The relevant sentence in that letter reads, "There is absolutely no question of SNA posts being removed from schools where they continue to meet the scheme's criteria". It is the latter phrase which undermines any value the letter might have. The NCSE is going to find that St. Joseph's does not meet the scheme's criteria. As the principal in the school has made plain, it is not possible to measure mild learning disability merely by ticking one box. There are many factors that constitute learning disability in these circumstances.

This school has an outstanding record. The parents fought over the years to make it the type of school it is today. It is unthinkable that the Minister should intervene in the middle of the school year and impose cuts like this. I join with Deputy Brian Hayes in pleading with the Minister to defer consideration of these cuts until there is an opportunity to sit down with the Minister, because it is the Minister and not some quango who has the power - by making one telephone call - to stop this from happening to St. Joseph's Special School at Balrothery in Tallaght.

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome this opportunity to join my colleagues in raising this Adjournment debate. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his courtesy in the matter and the Minister of State, Deputy John Moloney, will not be offended when I state that I too am disappointed and upset that the Minister was not able to be here. The matter I put before the Ceann Comhairle sums up my views on this issue - I call on the Minister to postpone and review the decision of the special educational needs organisers of the National Council for Special Education on the teaching posts and special needs assistant allocations at St. Joseph's Special School at Balrothery in Tallaght, which is in my constituency.

I will not repeat what my colleagues have stated. We have all been to the school and we have known it for a long time. The Gallery is packed, which is very unusual at this time of night. Teachers, parents and pupils are particularly concerned about this difficult situation. It is very important to emphasise the point that has been just made. I cannot get my head around why anybody, and certainly a professional body, would take a decision to cut staff numbers - if that is what is proposed - in the middle of a school term. I cannot get my head around it but perhaps more experienced colleagues might be able to do so.

One of the points made to us all by the principal on behalf of the school community was that they remain willing to review their mission, to look at the education needs of the area and to respond in a co-operative manner and that it would be much less difficult to achieve this if the threat of drastic staff reductions were removed. Irrespective of what the script of the Minister of State says, that is the message we want to get to the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. These decisions should be parked and reviewed and I ask the Minister to carry out that investigation and to respond to us in a positive way.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise for the fact that the Minister cannot be here this evening and I will read the response on his behalf. I thank the Deputies for raising this issue as it gives me an opportunity to clarify the position on some of the matters raised.

The Deputies will be aware that the Department requested the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to review all special needs assistant, SNA, posts because it had become clear that a number of SNA posts were in schools where the care needs of the pupils in the schools concerned did not justify such an allocation.

The NCSE, through its network of special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is at present carrying out a review of SNA allocations in all schools with a view to ensuring that the criteria as outlined in the Department's Circular 07/02 governing the allocation of such posts are properly met. SENOs are communicating the outcome of the review directly to schools as the review progresses. The allocation for any school and any adjustments to that allocation depend on a number of factors such as the number of pupils with care or medical needs leaving, the number of new pupils with such needs and the changing needs of the pupils. It is expected that the NCSE will have completed the review by the end of March.

St Joseph's Special School is a designated school for children with mild general learning disability. I understand that the school has 89 pupils enrolled and a total staff of 20 teachers and 17 SNAs. The NCSE commenced a review of the SNA allocation in St. Joseph's in October 2009 and the results of the review were confirmed to the school on 8 February 2010. The NCSE has advised the school that it is to reduce the number of SNAs by four and that this should be achieved by 19 February. The NCSE has also advised the school that it will not alter the level of teaching staff in the school for the remainder of the current school year.

The NCSE is committed to engaging with the school authorities and all other relevant State agencies to manage the situation in the short term and to ensure a sound basis for staff levels in the interest of pupils. I understand the NCSE intends to meet with the school authorities shortly in this regard. The Department has already indicated to the NCSE that it is prepared to attend a meeting with the school if this is considered helpful. I understand also that the NCSE is arranging to meet with parents individually in consultation with the school authorities.

I want to emphasise what is really important here. The terms and criteria for the SNA scheme have not changed. Where the criteria justify, additional posts are being allocated. However, where the criteria are not met, there may be a reduction in an SNA allocation. There is no question of posts being removed from schools where they meet the scheme's criteria. However, there is also no question of posts being left in schools indefinitely where they are deemed to be surplus to the care needs of the pupils.

The Deputies are fully aware that the Department has prioritised the provision of special education supports to schools. This is a key Government policy. However, this does not mean that resources allocated in response to various historical factors are retained in schools ad infinitum. At a time of constrained resources it is essential that we ensure that public resources are deployed as effectively as possible. Resources left in an area that are not in accordance with criteria mean public resources are not available for another deserving area.

I am sure that the Deputies share the Minister's concern to ensure there is a consistent application of policy on the allocation of special needs supports throughout the country and this is all that is happening at present. The Department can assure the Deputies that supports will continue to be made available to schools which have enrolled pupils who qualify for such support, and children with special educational needs will continue to have access to an appropriate education in line with the Department's policy. Schools will continue to be allocated additional teaching and SNA support in line with current policies. These policies have not changed.

With regard to the role of special schools, the National Council for Special Education expects to be in a position shortly to provide to the Department a copy of the research it has commissioned concerning the role of special schools and special classes. Ultimately, it is expected that advice received from the NCSE will assist the Department with policy formulation on the role of special schools and special classes. The Department is anxious that the skills and expertise these schools have accumulated in supporting children with special educational needs is utilised to best advantage in providing for such children. The Department looks forward to receiving the report from the NCSE.

On behalf of the Minister, I thank the Deputies once again for raising this matter.