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

The recently published National Council for Special Education, NCSE, policy advice on supporting children with special educational needs acknowledges the current economic climate makes it unlikely the Government will be able to implement EPSEN in the near future. However, the NCSE report makes recommendations on how changes might be introduced, including in respect of individualised planning for students, which brings EPSEN implementation closer. The report recommends that additional teaching and special needs assistant, SNA, care supports allocated to schools should be deployed on the basis of individualised educational plans, which demonstrate the requirement for this support and the way in which it will be used to benefit the student.

The report makes 28 detailed recommendations which are interesting and significant. They deserve in-depth and detailed examination and exploration. I have asked my Department to review carefully the recommendations, including the recommendation relating to individualised education planning, and to report back to me on them.

I understand from the Inspectorate of my Department that the majority of schools already use individual education planning to support children with special needs and the Department currently supports schools in the use of individualised planning through policy guidance, support, training and inspection.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the level of resources devoted to supporting children with special educational needs has been maintained at €1.3 billion this year. This includes provision for 10,575 special needs assistants, SNAs, and nearly 10,000 learning support and resource teachers. These resources have been protected despite the ongoing severe financial position.

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