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

On 25 June, I announced that I would authorise the NCSE to make allocations at the same level for 2013 as before, which is 0.85. Consequently, there has not been a reduction in resource teaching time for pupils with special educational needs over last year's allocation.

The NCSE published details of all its initial allocations for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2013-14 school year in June this year. The data are now available on the NCSE's website detailing allocations made for each school on a per county basis.

The NCSE allocated 5,284 whole-time equivalent resource teaching posts to schools in June. In order to meet any late demand for resource teaching support arising from 15 March 2013 and the start of the school year, the NCSE requested all schools to submit outstanding applications for resource teaching support to the council by 20 September this year. The NCSE is currently processing these applications. The NCSE has estimated that some 480 additional resource teaching posts are likely to be required to meet the demand in respect of valid applications received up to 20 September 2013. That is the figure specifically sought by the Deputy.

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