Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In terms of school transport, children with additional needs are entitled to the school transport system. Where the system is readily available, it is made available. Where there is a particular challenge, alternative arrangements can be put in place with regard to access to a taxi or other means to get them to school. They are entitled to that. More than €289 million has been made available for the school transport system. The other point is that we are very conscious that the needs of children who fall into the special educational needs bracket can come at different times of the year, so there is no time limit or timeframe in terms of their access to that school transport support. We have more than 15,500 children availing of school transport from the special education point of view, and that will continue to grow.

With regard to resources in schools for special classes, the resources that are made available are one teacher and two SNAs to six pupils, and they are provided for. I hear the point the Senator raises around the wider element of therapeutic supports in that instance. Considerable engagement has taken place with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, with regard to putting in place those specific resources in schools. There has been an announcement around 136 posts into special schools, with 44 of those posts to be put in place immediately and then, over three different tranches, the additional ones will be put in place throughout the autumn as they recruit.

On the wider question of supports within the school, a programme of professional support for schools with newly established special classes has been developed by the NCSE. The programme has been completed by the NCSE and will be available to schools as soon as is practical. The NCSE has worked very hard to put this together. The programme will involve a variety of supports, including seminars for principals, a four-day intensive training course for teachers, a two-day training course for new teachers and whole-staff CPD. There is an acknowledgement that the more a school is supported, the better it is.

The NCSE is heavily committed to this body of work. There is a new person taking up the position of CEO within the NCSE. Considerable progress has been made in terms of recognising the issues that are on the ground for either special classes or special schools. The appropriate measures are being put in place to meet those issues that have been identified.