Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are providing 900 additional resource teachers this year at a cost of €54 million. We are putting extra money and extra staff into resource teaching in a way that will ensure no school loses out. Schools that require a high level of support for children with complex learning needs, as identified by these tests, will get more. None of the existing schools will get less. This approach is designed to see more resources going to the schools with the greatest levels of need. That is what we are doing here. We are removing the diagnostic tests. I know the Deputy was sympathetic to the view that the requirement for expensive diagnostic tests to be done before any resources could be allocated in respect of children with special needs was putting an obstacle in the way of the parents of such children. Under the new model, the school will be front-loaded with the resources from day one and will be able to use its own discretion. I have been to Marino College to see where the new model was piloted and I suggest the Deputy should do likewise. The adoption of this approach there created a much better and genuinely integrated service for children with special needs and enhanced the education of all children in the school. I believe this model has many positive aspects, including extra resources.

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