Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies from all sides of the House for their contributions this afternoon. I share their desire to do more for our children and young people with special educational needs.

I share their desire to do more for our children and young people in special education. Deputies referred to a number of specific areas and cases. I will ask the Department to review their queries and provide direct responses. I will try to get through as many of them as I can, but for any I do not cover, the Department will get back to Deputies directly.

Deputy Clarke spoke about the experience and outcomes of disabled children in schools. This is something I want to look at further. The consultative forum will be important in that regard. We are listening to what people are saying to us. There is more consultation happening as part of the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. The Deputy mentioned SENOs. Longford will now have a dedicated SENO and the number of team managers will increase from ten to 20. The NCSE has the power to designate a place for a child with special educational needs. Section 37A of the Education Act 1998, as amended, allows for a school to be compelled to open a special class. However, our preference is to work with schools. That has been working well. There are 1,300 new classes and 11 new special schools in place. The pupil-teacher ratio has reduced by two points over the past two years.

Deputy Tully raised a number of issues. I will refer to inclusive education presently. She talked about multiple applications. There are more SENOs and more team managers in place now throughout the country. There is provision in law for the NCSE to take a more active role in admissions. I will look at that issue. On planning and assessment, the review of student plans is a key part of inspections and whole-school evaluations. The Deputy also spoke about training in special education for members of boards of management. A lot is being done in that regard. The whole area of training, including teacher training, is something on which I am very focused. We want teachers coming out of colleges feeling confident in the area of special needs education.

The review of the Disability Act is a matter for the Department of children. There is absolutely no doubt that the findings of the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act will give rise to a need to look at the Disability Act. The new Cabinet committee is looking at CDNTs, their role in the assessment of needs and the issue of transition supports. That is an area on which I am very much focused. NEPS now does most of the work in supporting children to transition from primary to post-primary school. I agree we need to remove the requirement for parents to pay for assessments. NEPS is doing some work on moving away from the medical diagnostic model to an educational model. The Department is feeding into a new autism strategy that is being finalised by the Department of children. That will also address the recommendations of the Committee on Autism.

I advise Deputy Ward that there are 534 special classes in Dublin, with an additional 30 coming on stream for next year and more being confirmed. There are four new special schools in Dublin. The HSE is undertaking two CDNT recruitment drives. Today, I am announcing that two new special school building projects in Dublin are progressing to tender stage, namely, St. Michael's House Special National School in Skerries and Scoil Chiaráin Special School in Glasnevin. Those works will see the replacement of existing buildings that are outdated. They are an example of the progress that is happening.

Deputy Kerrane referred to a school in Monksland in south Roscommon. There has been intensive work ongoing in regard to that school over recent weeks. The NCSE is confident that places will be there for the 18 children who need them. We can provide the Deputy with an update on that situation.

Deputy Duncan Smith spoke about SET hours. The NCSE is available to review the provision for individuals schools, including Holywell Educate Together National School. A total of 90% of the reductions in provision are linked to a fall in enrolments. We need the resources to follow the students when they move from primary to post-primary school. It is important the hours follow the student. Primary school enrolments are set to fall by 8,000 students per year for the next number of years. As a result, a lot of the pressure will come on the post-primary system.

I take on board Deputy Ó Ríordáin's point. We want to talk to special schools about the students they support. The level of need is getting more complex. We need to look at situations where children are travelling past one special school to attend another. That issue was raised by a number of Deputies. I want to talk to schools and patrons about those situations.

Deputy Murnane O'Connor and others mentioned the summer programme. That budget is being used to improve the pay and conditions of teachers and SNAs. The schools are telling us this is where the greatest need is arising. They are telling us to use the €40 million to ensure teachers, SNAs and others are paid at the appropriate rate. I will follow up on the other issues the Deputy raised.

I advise Deputy Carthy that there are 42 special classes in Monaghan, with at least four more coming on stream in the 2024-25 school year. The provision for Monaghan will be considered as part of forward planning. That process is ongoing. I will be happy to update the Deputy in that regard.

Deputy Gannon referred to teacher training. I absolutely want to see mandatory placement for student teachers in a special education setting. The Deputy raised the issue of the summer programme. There is a new initiative to allow schools to hire student teachers from the third week of May through to June and July. That certainly will help schools with the provision of the summer programme.

Deputy O'Reilly also mentioned the summer programme. There are 534 special classes across Dublin. Further work is needed on special education provision in the county. I am happy to look at individual cases.

Deputy Ó Laoghaire referred to Scoil Eoin National School in Ballincollig. New building proposals for the school are under active consideration by the Department's planning and building unit. We will update the Deputy on those proposals.

Deputy Bríd Smith raised the situation of a child called Sam. I am very disappointed to hear of the lack of inclusion in his school. We will have new policy advice that will address the care issue. It certainly will be addressed within my remit. We wrote to all post-primary schools asking them each to plan to provide for, on average, four special classes. This relates back to the pressure that is coming on post-primary schools because of the numbers of children moving into secondary education. The Deputy also referred to the summer programme.

I advise Deputy Boyd Barrett that there are more than 26,000 children in special classes and special schools. Those children are not waiting for provision. I am aware of the pressures and do not mean at all to take away from the issues he raised. Part of the reason the special Cabinet committee was set up was to ensure we can get over these challenges. The HSE waiting lists will be a key focus of the committee. Among the supports in place across the country are 40,000 special education teachers and SNAs. The Deputy raised several individual cases. Two CDNT recruitment drives are ongoing. I will get back to him directly regarding the specific issues he raised.

I advise Deputy Martin Browne that a number of new special classes are being established in Tipperary to meet the need that will arise in September. I can provide him with an update on that. Under section 37A of the Education Act 1998, as amended, the NCSE has the power to direct a school to enrol a child with special educational needs. However, our preference is to work with schools in the first instance.

I will come back directly to Deputy Ó Murchú on his question regarding therapies. The CDNT recruitment drive is under way and efforts are being made on training places. We are working with the University of Ulster, the Department of children and the Department of higher education on providing for greater workforce planning.

On Deputy Durkan's query, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Foley, to get back directly to him regarding the planning and building unit. There is a new special school in Naas, providing 24 places, that is open to admissions at present. There are 116 special classes in Kildare, with 16 new classes already on stream for the 2024-25 year. We do not want children on home tuition. Our preference is to have them in schools, where possible.

I advise Deputy Joan Collins that a new special school opened in Crumlin in 2021. Other special schools are expanding. The Department wrote to all post-primary schools to ask each of them to open, on average, four special classes. I will get back to the Deputy directly on the other issues she raised.

On Deputy Pringle's query, leave is available for teachers and SNAs who are injured in schools. New guidelines will be coming out on supporting good behaviour, as well as new code of behaviour guidelines. The Ombudsman for Children meets Department officials regularly to discuss many different issues.

I had a general reply prepared but there is no more time remaining. I am only in the job a number of weeks. I have hit the ground running. I will get back to Deputies directly on issues they raised.

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