Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Department of Education has a budget of more than €2 billion to fund the costs of more than 14,000 special education teachers and 19,000 special needs assistants, SNAs, which supports a broad continuum of education for children.

Scoil Naomh Cholmcille. Tullydonnell, Togher, Drogheda, County Louth, has applied for supports for three incoming children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, along with five other children in mainstream school, who have received a diagnosis during the period of lockdown, plus the six children already in the school with additional needs. The school was told it already had significant resources. It provided a timetable outlining what was needed in order to provide for the extra students.

Scoil Naomh Cholmcille has 177 students and a total of 14 children with additional needs. It has 1.8 SNAs, which means one full-time SNA, and one full-time special education teacher plus a part-time one. Can the Department of Education stand over the opinion that this is adequate cover for 14 students requiring additional resources? Children with ASD-----

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