Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

With regard to the mild special schools, we are continuing to build special schools. There are five new ones this year, one each in Monaghan, Waterford and Cork and two in Dublin, and 16 have been built in recent years. It is not that we are saying we have what we have and we need to move it around. We need to continue to build special schools as well as special classes in the mainstream. What is very clear is that, in some instances, entire schools are designated as mild but for children in the area who have more profound needs, it is their local school and they cannot access it because of the narrow criteria for admission. It is about making sure that if there is a special school that is designated for those who most need it and cannot access mainstream or special classes, we provide that support. That is not to say that children who are mild cannot access them either. It is just about making sure that those who have the most profound need can go to the school that is nearest to them. It is about more investment, continuing to build more schools and more special classes, providing more resources in the mainstream for children who need them and making sure that those appropriate places are in place.

With regard to psychologist support, we have a number of different pilots under way that will then come into the education therapy support service. This is probably different to what the Deputy was referencing because it will first be OTs and speech and language therapists. As time goes on, whether it is physiotherapists or psychologists, it is very important that we are providing as much support to students in school, where they spend most of their time and where they need supports most. A certain level is being provided through the HSE and the CDNTs at the moment but it is not applicable to every school so we need to build up the capacity. The Minister for further and higher education brought a memo to Cabinet last week outlining how he has already identified, within the parameters that exist, additional places across all of the various different therapies, including psychologists, OTs and speech and language therapists for this coming September. There is work under way to make sure we have more trained in the system to be able to support schools.

The EPSEN review will be brought forward soon, in a matter of weeks. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and I will be able to outline what is in that and what the next steps are.

With regard to admin support for principals, I have been working and engaging with the principals and I really appreciate the work they do. To clarify, I referred earlier to “working principals”. All principals are working principals and it is whether they are teaching principals or otherwise. Any changes around admin days, changes to how they work or the number of children that are needed to change the status would have to be done through the budgetary process. We are keen to support and help principals at primary and secondary level in whatever way we can. The issue of the SEN coordinator was set out in terms of the engagement with both of the associations and I am keen to move on that.