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

In June, I authorised the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to maintain the level of resource teaching allocations to be provided for students with special educational needs at 2012-13 levels. There has not been a reduction in resource teaching time for these pupils for the current school year.

The NCSE has advised me that the number of additional posts required to meet the requirement for the remainder of this year is just under 500. I am committed to making available the additional resources required to provide for these allocations so that the needs of qualifying children are met. The implications of this for my Department's employment control framework and Vote have been raised with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and will also be addressed in the forthcoming process in formulating budget 2014.

I am not in a position at this time to anticipate future budgetary decisions. All of these issues will need to be considered as part of the normal budgetary and Estimates process for 2014 and beyond.

See this speech in context