Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, for allocating resource teaching hours to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. It is not the practice of National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, psychologists to recommend specific numbers of resource teaching hours. NEPS psychologists assess children's needs. The SENOs determine the hours to be allocated in accordance with departmental policy and taking account of reports such as those provided by NEPS psychologists.

In respect of the allocation of resource teaching hours, the Department of Education and Skills is required to ensure that the overall allocation of teaching posts does not exceed the targets set out in the Government's employment control framework. The Department had planned for a certain amount of increased growth in teacher numbers across the school sector in 2011 in line with increased demographic growth. In respect of resource teaching hours for children with special educational needs, allowance was made for growth in 2011 over and above normal demographic increase levels. In 2010, the total number of whole-time equivalent, WTE, posts provided for resource hours teaching - including under the general allocation model - was approximately 9,600. By comparison, approximately 9,950 WTE posts have been provided for 2011. The Deputy will note that this represents an increase in the number of WTE posts available for the year 2011.

My Department requested the NCSE to provide data on the numbers and rate of application for additional resource teaching hours to date this year so that this information can be considered in the context of the Department's employment control framework obligations. The NCSE has also been asked to pause sanctioning additional resource teaching support hours to allow for collection and consideration of this data by the Department in conjunction with the NCSE. It should be noted that this is a temporary suspension of the allocation process in order to allow for consideration and analysis of this issue prior to any decisions being made. The NCSE issued a circular to schools advising them that the final date for submission of any outstanding completed applications for resource teaching supports is 13 May next.

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