Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. Like the Minister, I congratulate all those who did their junior certificate this year. If I may be so bold, I want to particularly congratulate the students of Boherbue Comprehensive School, in which I have a particular interest. I congratulate Anna and all those who did so well. I wish them very well in the times ahead. It was fierce excitement for everybody who did the junior cert today. I wish all of them the very best in education or life going forward.

I am delighted to welcome that the special education budget, which has surpassed €3 billion for the first time. It is indicative of the commitment of the Minister, the Government, and myself to supporting children with additional needs across our schools. The funding that was announced yesterday will see 860 special needs teachers. This is one of the largest ever addition of special education teachers, SETs, who will work across mainstream schools, special classes, and special schools. Funding has been secured for 1,717 additional SNAs. I pay tribute to the SNAs for the amazing they do in special schools, special classes and mainstream schools. That is going to bring the total to almost 25,000 SNAs working within our school system. There is huge commitment by the SNAs to work alongside their colleagues in the teaching profession as well.

The roll-out of the educational therapy services is one of the commitments we had in the programme for Government in terms of putting therapists back into special schools first, then into special classes and onto mainstream schools in order that students will be able to receive their therapies within the school process. Recruitment is starting on that. I am delighted that the whole of Government have been very much involved in this.

If we look at the challenges that have been faced right across the spectrum in relation to children with additional needs, a lot of work has been done by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and ourselves and that is ongoing. We have met on a weekly basis over the past number of months to make sure we are dealing with this and understanding them. Due to the October deadline we brought forward last week, we are now in a position to know the challenges that are necessary and how we are going to roll that out to make sure that students will know their places in a timely manner. We will also have the construction of those places in a timely manner over the next number of months.

It is important to acknowledge the commitment by the entire Government to special education and the importance that we in the Department, and as public representatives, see in it as well. An anomaly that the Minister spoke about relates to children of post-primary age who are in special schools. The capitation grant is going up to the higher rate. This is welcome across the special schools. It will make it easier. We need to make sure we have enough funding right across special schools. We have to do more work in the special classes at post-primary level. We are acutely aware it. We are working with the NCSE to make sure that there is more in that.

School transport also comes under my brief. I welcome the €69 million investment in school transport. This is hugely important infrastructure. Over the past number of weeks since the Dáil came back after the summer, there have been nine hours of debate in the Dáil, Seanad and committees on school transport. It shows the importance of school transport to families and communities, and particularly for the students who are availing of it. It is an important piece and we will continue to work to make sure that we roll it out better. On special education, there are many challenges for children with additional needs to get them to and from school. That is something will work on closely over the next while.

See this speech in context