Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate what I said earlier. In order to ensure that schools are not negatively impacted by these issues, all existing hours assigned for complex needs are being maintained for each school, which is an important point to remember. Approximately 98% of all children, including those with special educational needs, are educated in mainstream classes. We recognise there are children for whom a more specialist support is required, which is why we have seen significant growth in special classes, as the Deputy noted. I am proud that in opposition a number of years ago, Fianna Fáil forced the legislation to be changed. It is not just a request of schools to open special classes; the State can now demand they do so.

By September of this year, we will have opened 11 new special schools, provided more than 21,000 SNAs in our schools and increased funding for assistive technology by over 60% in recent years, as well as running an expanded summer programme at a cost of €40 million per annum. At that point, we will have 14,600 SETs in our schools, the highest number ever, and they will work in all mainstream provision to support children with special educational needs. As the demographics change, which will vary throughout the country, with children moving from primary to post primary, we need a model that can ensure the special education teaching hours are where the children are being educated. An annualised model that can allow resources to move to where the children are and is based on education-related data is a child-centred and responsive model to meet the needs of children in schools today.

I acknowledge that every school is different and that schools can experience unique circumstances that may be difficult to reflect in any standardised method. This is always a challenge when we seek to make allocations in respect of 4,000 schools. It is for this reason the Department has also streamlined the review process for special education teachers, and schools that feel they have received an inappropriate allocation can make this application to the NCSE. The NCSE is well placed to manage this work, following the recent investment of €13 million and 161 additional staff.

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