Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy should be clear on this point. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, has set out the figures. The number of resource teachers has gone up by 41% from 5,200 to 7,500. Since 2011, the number of special needs assistants has increased by over 22% from 10,500 to 13,115. Since the previous Fine Gael-led Government took office in 2011, and despite an adverse economic climate, the sanctioned national educational psychological service, NEPS, staffing numbers have been maintained at the same level. NEPS now provides a service to an additional 20,000 pupils compared to 2011. We are committed to the programme for Government's commitment to deliver an additional 65 NEPS psychologists over the lifetime of the Government. We are also committed to recruiting a total of 21 educational psychologists by September 2017.

The Deputy has cited particular circumstances from parents who have approached her and others. Let me assure the Deputy, however, that the Minister for Education and Skills has secured exceptional resources from the Government and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It is the deployment of those resources that the Deputy is raising. We will query the Deputy's points with the school involved.

I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, has been to that school on a number of occasions and has met with the parents. He will be down there again before too long. However, the Deputy has raised specific issues and I will see that they are followed through on.

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