Ms Martina Mannion:

We really appreciate the opportunity to engage with the members. We absolutely believe it is right and proper that they tell us where they believe there are challenges and where we need to do better. We have put much work into improvements in many of these areas but by no means believe the system is working exactly as it should for every child with special educational needs. We are the first to acknowledge that. We are here to try to ensure members can see we are making progress, but we acknowledge as officials that we have a lot more to do. That is very important.

The first question the Senator asked was how we can know exactly where the money was spent last year. She asked for reassurance. We have the breakdown of the figures. The vast bulk of money spent in the special education area is on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants. Funding goes to the National Council for Special Education and there is funding for assistive technology. As part of our accounts and outturn processes, we have to account for every penny we get. We can give the Senator absolute reassurance that all the money provided for special education is going into that area. We are able to get that and provide it.

I will start by going backwards a little because some of my colleagues will respond on the other issues. On making our schools and system as inclusive as possible, the universal design for buildings is the basis upon which our school buildings are predicated. I am aware that the Senator is on the education committee, which my colleague from the planning and building unit attended recently. There is a centre for excellence in universal design that includes specific advice on design to ensure school buildings are as inclusive as possible. In addition, the building unit recently updated school design guidance on special needs accommodation in mainstream schools. We are also producing a new design guide for special schools. We want to ensure our school buildings are as inclusive as possible. Within that, and having regard to providing sufficiently for children in our new school builds, we are factoring in the ancillary accommodation, such as the central activity space, the multi-activity room, quiet spaces, secure play areas and sensory gardens. Therefore, we are trying to ensure that we provide a very positive, holistic space. We are conscious that schools are not just four walls but also include the outdoor area, the play space and the multisensory space, which are so important for children with special educational needs.

In the context of the question on counsellors, we were talking about the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, psychologists whom we were talking about recruiting. The counselling pilot also came up at the committee meeting. It was announced last year and comprised an important additional support. It entailed €5 million in addition to the funding provided to NEPS. That funding will provide for two important strands related to counselling in schools. The first involves one-to-one counselling in seven counties where we have worked in NEPS to identify counsellors qualified and appropriately trained to begin work with small numbers of schools doing one-to-one counselling with children. That is an important initiative. We got funding in the budget this year to continue with that into the next year, which is important.

The second strand, the one we regard to have been very valuable, concerns the role of the mental health practitioner. We are recruiting people who have psychology degrees, including Master's degrees, and people who have an interest in this area. We want them to join as part of the student support teams in schools. We are piloting that. We recognise the great importance of mental health and well-being supports in our schools. We have a mental health and well-being policy as part of our junior cycle. Apart from that, what we are really trying to do is ensure there are enough mental health supports in our schools.

With regard to the first strand, the relevant counties are Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary. With regard to the second, the regions are Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7 and Dublin 16. The strands are going to be piloted with the money we got last year and can continue into next year.

That will make a real difference on the ground.

I want to come to the issue of the reduced school day which the Senator has spoken about. I will ask some of my colleagues to join me in this response who will be able to give the Senator some more information. The most important thing to note in the context of the reduced school day is that we were very clear when we published the guidance that this is to be a benefit for children to reintegrate them into school and is never to be used as a sanction or a behaviour management tool.

Now, having published those reports, where the Senator has identified children from both the Traveller community and children with special educational needs who are on the reduced school day, this guidance is now ensuring the NCSE and Tusla are working together to make sure that those children are on those reduced school days for as little time as possible. I will ask my colleague Ms Cullen to provide some further input on how we are supporting the children in the Traveller community, both on the reduced school day and more broadly, because I know the Senator has talked to us at these committees about this area and it is very important we are able to give the Senator that reassurance.