Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At a time of severe economic challenge, the level of resources devoted to supporting children with special educational needs has been maintained with increases in certain areas for the next school year. This is in response to the demographic growth to which the Deputy referred and the increased demand despite the ongoing and severe financial position. There will be more than 11,000 resource teaching and learning support posts available to schools for the 2014-2015 school year which is the highest number of posts that has ever been made available. The number of resource teaching posts to the NCSE for allocation to schools has increased from 5,745 last year to 6,225 next year. I ask the Deputy to bear in mind also that the number of SNAs within our schools at the end of the year will be the highest ever. We spend just over €1.3 billion per annum on special needs education within the Department, which is greater than the whole budget for An Garda Síochána, our police force. We are working hard and as best we can within difficult economic circumstances to protect and nurture the integrated model of education to which the Deputy refers.

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