Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

In all, there are more than 20,000 adults, including SNAs and resource-learning support teachers in schools to support children with special educational needs. Each year my Department makes detailed plans, taking account of population growth, for future allocations of resources across all areas of education, including special education. In this context, Deputies may wish to know that the pupil population to SNA ratio has reduced from 252:1 in 2001 to 78:1 in 2010. By any standard the development and growth of the special needs assistant programme has been remarkable. I wish to stress that with equitable and careful management and distribution of these resources it is considered that there should be sufficient posts to provide access to SNA support for all children who require such care support to attend school.

Deputies will be aware of the recent value for money and policy review of the SNA scheme. The review has found that the scheme is supporting schools in meeting the needs of eligible students, and that it has assisted as many students as possible to be included in mainstream schools. However, the review also points to a possible over-allocation of SNAs in schools of which 10% are in special schools and up to 27% in mainstream schools.

The decision to introduce a cap on overall SNA numbers means that all SNA posts will now be subject to annual review and there will be ongoing monitoring of overall SNA numbers throughout the year, in accordance with the recommendations of the review. That will facilitate the allocation of SNA support in the most fair and equitable way. I note Deputy Clare Daly's points in that regard, but if one is to have teaching assistants then one will have to have a teaching assistant scheme. It is either an SNA scheme or it is a teaching assistant scheme. The case she made was a genuine one.

The review has also concluded that the SNA scheme has moved away from the objectives of the scheme originally envisaged, which was to provide for children's care needs in an educational setting, and has moved towards SNA involvement in behavioural, therapeutic, pedagogical and administrative duties. The review concludes that this may stem from a lack of understanding of the role of the SNA which has led to inefficiencies in the system. Schools and parents have come to expect the allocation of SNA posts for students whose care needs do not meet the terms of the scheme. I wish to be clear in explaining to the House that there are no plans for the expansion of the SNA scheme beyond the provision of supports to schools to enable them support the care needs of pupils with disabilities.

The value for money and policy review is clear in that respect when it states the crucial importance of communicating the purpose of the SNA scheme in order to ensure that the care role envisaged for the SNA is understood by schools, professionals and parents, and that SNAs are not used to supplement teaching or as therapeutic support for students. The NCSE allocates separate additional teaching expertise to provide the additional teaching support needs for these children.

I wish to be clear on some key issues regarding the SNA scheme: SNAs are being allocated on the basis of priority criteria and in a consistent manner. The NCSE will use its professional judgment in that regard. Some of the priority criteria which apply are: Ensuring that the minimum SNA to special class ratio is maintained in both special schools and special classes; ensuring that schools which have enrolled children with the most significant special care needs are supported to meet those needs; ensuring the provision of support for children with incontinence issues and; ensuring that the full-day cover provision is not reduced below a full day.

In order to ensure that the allocation of SNAs for the 2011 to 2012 school year is managed in a prudent and responsible manner, the NCSE, in consultation with the Department, has decided retain approximately 475 of the 10,575 SNA posts in order that they are available to be allocated over the remainder of the school year. That will ensure the NCSE retains the capacity to meet urgent cases as they arise over the school year while also ensuring that the overall number of SNA posts allocated will remain within the capped number of 10,575. The reserve posts will be prioritised to address appeals and emergency cases, acquired injuries and new assessments during the school year, new entrants to schools, and reconsideration of allocation levels for schools in which interventions have been unsuccessful.

A process will be in place in the new school year to review allocation decisions to ensure correct procedures were followed and that they comply with the Department's policy. I understand the NCSE will communicate this to schools early in the new school year. Schools, for their part, must demonstrate that they have made every effort to manage their allocation of SNA posts to best effect.

In 2010 the Department provided 9,600 posts for learning support and resource teaching. It is intended to provide 9,950 learning support and resource teaching posts in the 2011-2012 school year, an increase of 350. This is an historically high level of provision. It has been calculated that, based on the number of applications received to date for resource teaching support by the National Council for Special Education, an allocation of 90% of the identified resource teaching allocations can be made to schools in the first instance. This will provide schools with the majority of their allocation while preserving enough capacity to ensure the Department can provide for late or emergency applications while remaining within ECF obligations.

I wish to clarify for the House that 4,538 posts available in mainstream primary schools under the general allocation model of additional teaching support are not affected by the 90% measure. The effect of a 90% allocation of resource teaching support means a reduction of six minutes per hour of resource teaching allocated. Schools can make up additional time through grouping of children, doubling of children and more effective management of teaching time. When the full level of demand is known, the initial 90% allocation may be revisited.

As Deputies are aware, a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced, principally those establishing the NCSE and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. The Department has established a cross-departmental working group, including relevant agency personnel, to consider each non-commenced part of the Act. The group will focus on preparing a plan for the implementation of the Act.

The Government continues to ensure all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments. We have committed to reversing the cap placed on the number of psychologists employed by the National Educational Psychological Service. The issue of recruiting more psychologists will be kept under review in the context of the overall employment control framework in the public sector.

There are no changes proposed to the provision of school transport services, including escorts, for eligible children with special educational needs. At present, my Department also provides a direct grant to 500 parents to support their school transport costs. The grant has been reviewed and from the start of the coming school year it will be based on Civil Service mileage rates.

In the face of economic turmoil, the Government has prioritised the provision of supports for pupils with special educational needs. As well as teachers and special needs assistants, we will continue to provide assistive technology, specialist equipment, adapted school buildings and special school transport arrangements. We will protect front-line education services as much as possible within the resources we have to work with. However, this must be done within the context of bringing our overall public expenditure back into line with what we can afford as a country. All areas of Government will have to manage on a reduced level of resources. The challenge will be to ensure the resources that can be provided are used to maximum effect to achieve the best possible outcome for pupils. I commend the Government's amendment to the House.

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