Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he is refusing to sanction more than 4,000 applications for special needs resources received before 31 August 2003 that have been assessed and reviewed within his Department until a survey of special needs has been completed; when he expects the survey to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9889/04]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I am committed to the sustained development of supports and services for children with special educational needs. Approximately 1,000 applications for resources for new entrant pupils were considered on a priority basis for the current school year. Each application was responded to by, or shortly after, 1 September last. As a consequence, a further 131 resource teacher posts and 282 special needs assistant posts were allocated to primary schools. In addition, my Department is continuing to respond to emergency applications as they are received.

The balance of more than 4,000 applications received between 15 February and 31 August 2003 has been reviewed by a dedicated team comprising members of my Department's inspectorate and the national educational psychological service. These applications are being further considered in the context of the outcome of surveys of special needs provision conducted over the past year or so. Account is also being taken of the data submitted by schools as part of the recent nationwide census of special needs provision.

It is intended to advise all applicant schools of the result of their applications as soon as possible. This notification will take account of the outcome of discussions on a weighted system of allocation of special education teacher support. In that regard, my officials have initiated discussions with representative interests on the development of a weighted model. The development of a weighted system is complex and time consuming, involving not only discrete allocations for individual schools, but shared allocations between smaller schools. I am, however, hopeful of a conclusion in the near future.

While it would be premature to anticipate the outcome, the basic purpose of the weighted system is to ensure each school has the level of resources required to cater for its pupils with special educational needs. Pending the conclusion of discussions with the representative interests, schools are advised to refer to circular 24/03, which issued in September 2003. This circular contains practical advice on how to achieve the most effective deployment of resources allocated for special educational needs within the school.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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While nobody objects to the Minister carrying out a review, more than 4,000 children whose psychological assessments have been reviewed by the Department and on which a decision is ready to be made are being held up indefinitely. These children are young and need special supports. I have a letter relating to an eight year old whose assessment was forwarded to the Department more than a year ago but he still has not received support, and I could produce many similar letters. How can the Minister stand over a scenario where young children who have been assessed as needing special support are being held up by his Department without a decision?

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Supports are available in many schools as part of the exercise we have carried out. The 1,000 applications processed for the most needy children at the beginning of the current school year related to children who were entering schools for the first time or who were attending schools in which support was not available for special needs children. The 4,000 applications on hand in the Department will be dealt with in the near future in the context of the change I am introducing to the system, which will ensure in future children with a higher incidence of special needs and their parents will not have to go through the trauma of psychological assessments, schools will not have to be in almost constant contact with the Department and the Department will not be snowed under with applications that can be dealt with by schools.

Unfortunately, adopting a streamlined system that will be much easier on parents, pupils, schools and the Department takes a little time to get right. I accept people are waiting but I hope they will not have to wait much longer and a much improved and more customer friendly provision for special needs in schools will be in place. It has to be done but, unfortunately, this group of children are being delayed as a result. However, if I do not do this now, the same thing will happen year in, year out and I am not prepared to stand over that.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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I accept that the Minister may change the system for the future but it is entirely heartless to hold up 4,000 people. The letter I have states——

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is not appropriate to quote.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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What will the Minister do regarding schools that do not have spare resource capacity and children who do not receive the help they need? There are hundreds of these children throughout the State. Is the Minister committed to children with special needs when he allows such a scenario to happen?

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I am absolutely committed to them and that is why I am trying to ensure they do not have to go through this again. I have had numerous meetings with a variety of interested parties to try to put in place a system that meets the requirements of special needs higher incidence children so that their parents do not have to get a psychological assessment report and that, from next September, schools will be able to cater for the special needs of children from day one. I am not heartless.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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In the meantime, such children have been left for one year without support.