Ms Anne O'Connor:

Assessment of need has been a challenge for a number of years. However, there have been a couple of developments. This year to date, we have had just under 3,800 applications, which is considerably lower than last year. We believe this is linked to the new model of resource allocation in schools. The number of applications is 700 lower than last year and we expect that figure to increase to approximately 900 by the end of the year. Having said that, we also had to undertake a significant programme of improvement. That is linked to a couple of key issues. One has been to approve a standing operating procedure for assessment of need. That has led us into considerable negotiation with staff groups. We hope to have that resolved in December and we will have a standardised approach to assessment because it has been variable around the country.