Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank both Deputies for raising these issues as it gives me an opportunity to outline the current position regarding provision for children with special educational needs and the supports in place for schools with special classes. Enabling children with special educational needs, including autism, to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for Government. Next year, more than 20% of the total educational budget, or €2 billion, will be invested in supporting children with special needs. As a result of the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.

Special class provision in mainstream primary and post-primary schools is a central element of the continuum of education provision in place to support children with special educational needs. This continuum extends from full-time placement in mainstream classes and special classes through to full-time enrolment in special schools with a number of options in between.

The Department supports this continuum through a range of dedicated supports in line with the needs of the child. These supports include the provision of teachers, SNAs and psychological support from the National Educational Psychological Service. In addition, there are specialist supports provided by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, including extensive professional development programmes for principals and teachers and advice for schools, parents and families. The overall aim of the continuum is to ensure that every child is supported in the journey of realising his or her potential through education in an inclusive and caring school environment.

I am keenly aware of the huge contribution made by all principals, including teaching principals, in supporting this continuum. I acknowledge the work of school leaders who opened special classes in response to the needs of their community. I am aware too that Covid-19, as Deputy Ó Laoghaire outlined, has placed an additional strain on principals and our schools.

Apart from the supports I outlined earlier, there are a number of other supports provided by the Department. As part of the additional funding to schools, €10.2 million has been allocated specifically to support principals and deputy principals who undertake teaching duties in primary schools. This funding will provide each teaching principal with a minimum of one release day per week, and release days for deputy principals in those schools that have an existing administrative principal for this school year. More than 1,700 primary schools with teaching principals have benefitted from the increase in release days. Teaching principals in schools with special classes are allocated a further four release days, in addition to the 37 allocated to each school with a teaching principal. There are also arrangements in place for schools to cluster their principal release days into a full-time post which will assist teaching principals to more effectively plan their release days for the benefit of the school.

Notwithstanding the extent of this investment and the supports which have been put in place, I am also conscious that there are some parts of the country, including Dublin 12, where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places. The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. The NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and special school places nationally, to meet identified needs. The process is ongoing.

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and, where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school.

As Minister, I have powers under section 37A of the Education Act to direct a school to provide additional places but this power is only used as a last resort where all reasonable efforts have failed.

Through better planning at both national and local level, it is my objective that specialist education places should come on stream to meet emerging demand on a timely basis. However, the active collaboration of school communities is essential in this regard. The legislation was used for the first time in 2019, in respect of the Dublin 15 area. Significant progress has been made in that area on foot of action taken under section 37. The legislative process is again under way this year in respect of south Dublin. While progress is being made, the NCSE is continuing its engagement with schools, patron bodies, parents and others to bring the required additional special class and special school placements on stream.

In terms of the provision of additional special school places in the area, I can confirm that sites such as Scoil Colm are currently being examined. The work will continue until every child has access to a suitable education. In the meantime, special educational needs organisers, SENOs, are available to support both families and schools who need help or advice.

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