Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will first complete my answer on the question of educational disadvantage. I am very conscious of the need to ensure supports across all schools because there are children at risk of educational disadvantage across all schools. It is for this reason that, as I stated earlier, we have introduced a variety of different measures, including measures with regard to the pupil-teacher ratio, a free books scheme at a cost of more than €50 million, a pilot programme of counselling services in our primary schools and so on. As a consequence of the new HP index being formulated, the next phase of work will begin within my Department. We will look at a variety of types of supports that can be rolled out to schools to meet their needs. These may not necessarily involve DEIS status. There will be a kind of stepped system. There will be DEIS status, another step and then the next.

On the specific point the Deputy raised regarding special education, he will be aware of the role of the special educational needs organiser, SENO. Considerable additional resources have been made available to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to boost its work and the availability of SENOs to communicate with parents on the ground to obtain the fullest picture possible of the needs of the student, which the SENOs then filter back to the NCSE.

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