Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, recently published its policy advice on the education of students with severe emotional disturbance or behavioural disorders. I welcome the publication of the report, which makes recommendations on how education can best be provided for such children in future, while ensuring minimal disruption for other pupils. The Department will consider the recommendations of the report, including any resource, policy, and staffing implications, and will prepare a plan for the appropriate implementation of these recommendations in the context of available resources. In the interim, schools will continue to be supported through the provision of additional resource teaching and special needs assistant support. Earlier this year, the Department also published new guidelines for schools on supporting students with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, which are available on the Department's website. Schools may also seek advice from the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, their special educational needs organiser or from the national behavioural support service, on how children with behavioural needs can best be supported in schools.

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