Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:condemns:

-- the deplorable announcement of cuts in special needs assistant supports and resource teacher hours for pupils with special educational needs; and

-- the 12% cut in teaching time for special needs children to be implemented for the 2013-14 school year;

notes that:

-- this reduction comes on top of a reduction of 5% in 2012 and 10% in 2011; and

-- the reductions will mean that students will now get 25% fewer resource teacher hours than they would have received two years ago;

agrees that:

-- such reductions are in direct contradiction to the Government's approach of matching the expected increase in pupil numbers in mainstream classes this September with new teachers through the hiring of 450 additional mainstream teachers at primary and secondary level in order to maintain the standard pupil-teacher ratio;

-- such reductions will have a severe impact on children with special needs;

-- such cuts will also have an adverse impact on all children right across the mainstream school system;

-- the cuts are also causing deep alarm and distress to the parents and teachers of these children;

-- it is unfair and unreasonable to impose such cuts on children with the greatest need in the education system;

-- the cuts undermine the principle of inclusive schools;

-- the cuts weaken mainstreaming for children with disabilities and reinforce segregation; and

-- the decision will negatively affect the national literacy and numeracy strategy; and

calls on the Government to:

-- give students with special educational needs fair treatment by increasing the number of resource teachers and special needs assistants to match the expected increase in special needs students this September in the same way that the Department is increasing the number of mainstream teachers to meet demand;

-- lift the cap on teaching resources to ensure every child eligible for resource teaching hours receives, at a minimum, the same allocation of hours as they were allocated in the current academic year;

-- lift the cap on special needs assistants to ensure every special needs child with a need for a special needs assistant has a level of care appropriate to his/her needs;

-- set a timeframe for the full implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004;

-- provide a proper and coordinated framework for the inclusion of all pupils in suitable education settings;

-- affirm its commitment to inclusive education to enable all children to achieve their potential; and

-- reverse the unjustified cuts announced by the Department of Education and Skills and the National Council for Special Education.

I wish to share time with Deputies Michael Moynihan, Éamon Ó Cuív, John Browne and Barry Cowen.

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