Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The number of resource teachers currently is 9,950 and that has not been reduced. The number of special needs assistants is 10,575 and that is not being reduced. If one considers the totality of the education system, at present there are approximately 59,000 teachers working therein, 32,000 of them at primary level and 27,000 at post-primary level. Of those teachers, 9,950 are resource teachers or learning support teachers. In addition, there are 695 teachers in special classes and 1,078 teachers in special schools. In other words, there are in total 11,700 teachers whose sole function is to support children with special educational needs. In addition, there are 10,575 special needs assistants or in other words, for every five mainstream teachers in the system, there are two people, between special resource teachers, learning support teachers and special needs assistants, who are specifically dedicated to working with children with special needs.

What has been happening is the numbers presenting for special needs assistants and for resource teachers have been increasing. For example, last year the increase was approximately 10%. As for what the Minister for Education and Skills is doing in this regard, the National Council for Special Education has in the first instance published highly detailed policy advice as to how the resources should be allocated. This is the first time that the allocation system has been considered in detail for approximately 20 years. Schools are being encouraged by the National Council for Special Education to consider the way in which the resources are being used and, for example, to use team teaching where that is possible, to ensure that individual children do not see any actual reduction in the resource hours provided.

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