Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry. A separate panel for competence in Irish is being established by the Public Appointments Service, PAS. My Department will recruit from that panel to meet these needs. We are also developing a policy for teaching Irish in the Gaeltacht, where a separate set of issues is emerging.

Sometimes the quality of the language levels within the Gaeltacht are under some pressure.

I take the point about the Gaelscoileanna in the competitions for selection in those areas. We must take a fresh look at how the competitions are put in place. We also hope some of the transfers of patronage will go to Gaelscoileanna to reflect the need. This matter is receiving attention. We are examining the issue of patronage and trying to improve choice for parents. It is a very important theme on which we will have to work attentively, but it is not easy.

The Chairman referred to the third level sector competing with other parts of the education system. It is not accurate to say that. We are making a strong case - I have always made the case - that we must see third level education as a big part of our ambitions. It is important to refer to its economic impact to win the argument, but that is not to suggest it is solely an economic impact. There is also an obligation on us as a committee to try to devise a longer term funding path for the sector. I dealt with the point made about outcomes being hard to measure. I agree, but we should try to find ways to at least be able to evaluate the impact of initiatives we are taking and that are, I hope, having a good result.

I will not get into the issue we discussed. We have had useful meetings on the issue of the emergence of second level schools, how the demographic model works in the Department and which schools are counted and which are not. Perhaps I might take up the Chairman's offer to discuss it with officials. Obviously, we wish to accommodate to the best extent possible, but we must use a model that is fair to all and applied everywhere.

I was also asked, in respect of SNAs, if there could be better liaison with the HSE and its developmental tests. An element of the new model is that this become a bigger part of it. I hope, with the roll-out of the preschool model for children with special needs - I believe it is called AIM, access and inclusion model - there will be a better handle on the junior infant input.

On how SNAs are allocated, there is a matrix which I believe dates back to the 1990s by which SNAs are allocated according to different needs. It can be made available to the Chairman. There is also a detailed explanation of the SNA allocation in special schools and how SNAs are allocated in respect of special classes. The number of special classes has exploded in recent years and there is a SNA allocation. Then there is the SNA allocation to pupils within mainstream classes. Perhaps I might send the committee a note on the matter, rather than go through it now. There is a model in place, but behind it there is also an older evaluation with a matrix setting out a rough evaluation of need relative to diagnostic categories. That is available, too.