Dáil debates

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Special Educational Needs

10:02 am

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for outlining his concerns regarding these schools. It is my role as Minister of State with responsibility for special education to ensure that I hold the NCSE to account. It receives €20 million from the Department every year and employs its SENOs to liaise on the ground with schools, families and parents to ensure sufficient resources are available to each school. I can bring this matter to the attention of the NCSE. I am not aware if it has recently inspected these schools. The Deputy may wish to consider requesting the NCSE, via the schools, to inspect them. I often visit mainstream schools, special schools and special classes. When we are talking about hoists and mechanisms like that, visits are a very real, tangible and practical way for SENOs to see what is needed as opposed to seeing it in an academic way on paper. If there have not been NCSE inspections, that would be a good thing to look at.

The role of the SNA is critical when we talk about special education. It is often the only way a child with additional needs can survive in school at all. Most children would not be in position to do so, if it were not for the SNA. Training is now being provided through a new national SNA programme at University College Dublin. We want to make sure that the SNAs that are in place are equipped and have continuous professional development in order to be able to carry out the tasks the school wishes them to. It is at the discretion of schools to use SNAs as they see fit.

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