Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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On 27 June this year Scoil Mochua, a special school on the Old Nangor Road in Clondalkin, Dublin 22, was informed by its special educational needs organiser that it would lose two teaching staff in the upcoming school year. This is one example but it could apply to other special schools throughout the country, including St. Joseph's Special School in my constituency. Scoil Mochua was subsequently informed that it would lose one teacher from the start of August. Given that the school expects to have between 52 and 54 pupils enrolled in the coming academic year, this cut will reduce its pupil-teacher ratio below a level acceptable to meet the particular needs of the children in the school.

The pupils attending Scoil Mochua are in the main severely or very severely physically disabled. They have multiple disabilities and little or no independent function. In many cases they are non-verbal. In reply to a parliamentary question yesterday the Department maintained that the basis of the cut in teaching numbers in Scoil Mochua was that in the view of the National Council for Special Education the school "has an appropriate level of teaching staff to cater for all of the children enrolled in the school from September". However, the principal of Scoil Mochua believes that the NCSE has difficulty recognising the significance of the complex disabilities that affect the majority of the pupils at the school. On this basis she strongly believes that the pupil-teacher ratio is wrong and will have a detrimental impact on the children's education. This view is strongly shared by the parents of children attending the school.

Will the Minister reverse this damaging cut to this school and other schools that cater for pupils with some of the highest levels of educational need in our society? I call on the Minister to review - I am using that awful term again - the category of "physical disability" used by the NCSE to take account of the needs of severely physically disabled children, to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio accordingly, and to review the category of "multiple disability" to include physical disability and other associated or additional disabilities. This category should include severe communication difficulties, including an inability to communicate verbally, and limitations in independent function, especially with regard to hand function and personal care activities. I have no doubt that if the Minister were to seriously undertake this review he would conclude that the current criteria used to determine the pupil-teacher ratio at schools such as Scoil Mochua in Clondalkin are inadequate.

We are discussing the most vulnerable people in the education system. They did not cause the economic crisis or the crisis in the banks. In the majority of cases their parents were not the cause of these either. These parents would go to the ends of the earth to try to get the best for their children. The Minister will be aware of the sacrifices such parents have made over the years to try to get an education for their children. They want to give their children a chance. They maintain that one extra teacher, extra hours or extra support will make all the difference. Given the multiple layers of disability experienced by its students, the school is asking for a review to be initiated by the Minister to examine this area and establish whether flexibility can be shown in the system in the case of such children.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thank Deputy Crowe for raising this issue. I advise the Deputy that there has been no reduction in the number of teaching staff allocated in the special school sector for the forthcoming school year. The NCSE is responsible, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants, SNAs, to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE also is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels for the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support.

I wish to clarify for the Deputy that the Department has always valued the contribution made by special schools to the continuum of provision being made for children with special educational needs.

The Department is aware that many special schools now enrol students from disability categories other than from those provided for by their school designations. The Department has, therefore, authorised the NCSE to allocate teaching resources in accordance with the complexity of need that exists within individual special schools, as opposed to primarily by school designation. This is a significant change. For example, a school which is designated to cater for children with physical disability may now have a mixed enrolment including children with multiple disabilities as well as children with physical disability.

In line with its designation, this school will currently have a pupil teacher ratio of 10:1. However, under the terms of circular 42/2011, the allocation in respect of the children with multiple disabilities will be improved from 10:1 to 6:1. This provision will be of significant benefit to such a school.

From the 2012-13 school year, all special schools will be staffed based on their actual current pupil profiles and the disability category of each pupil, and in future years school staffing schedules will be reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE.

The nature of the disabilities of pupils attending special schools means they have significant educational needs. This is reflected in the level of teaching staff allocated to special schools.

However, the Department is aware that a number of special schools currently retain posts which are surplus to their allocations. The NCSE will manage the staffing of special schools and where necessary will suppress posts in schools, which have excess teaching posts, in order to ensure there are posts available to meet the needs of schools with growing pupil numbers. Whereas I understand that schools may wish to maintain current staffing levels, the NCSE must ensure that, where there are surplus teaching posts in schools, these must be redirected to meet the needs of children who need this support.

I have asked the NCSE to provide formal advice on the appropriate nature and configuration of educational supports which should be allocated to schools to provide students with special educational needs with the opportunity to develop to their full potential. I expect this advice to be delivered early next year. I thank the Deputy once again for raising the matter.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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I asked that the Minister look at the idea of a review in this area.

The Minister stated that the allocation for schools like this will increase, but this particular school tells me that on 27 June it was told it was losing two staff and, subsequently, it has been informed that it will lose one. I am not sure whether that one is because the numbers are not growing in the school. That is a possibility.

My main argument is that these children, because of the multiple disabilities that many of them have, are outside the normal structure in the allocation for schools. The Minister stated in his reply that he has taken cognisance of that but the difficulty is that this school is one of those that will lose a teacher. Basically, that is what I am asking the Minister about.

We all stood for election on the matter. I note the positive manifesto the Minister set out in supporting schools, parents and children with special educational needs. I suppose people want to see that coming about.

This is one school that is affected. It is losing a teacher. It will make it more difficult for those teachers in the school. It also will be more difficult to impart an education in the school because it is losing a teacher.

I do not know whether there was an extra allocation in the school. I suppose my appeal is that for schools like this there is a need to look at all of those multiple disabilities. The argument of many in the sector is that the Minister is not taking cognisance of this and really looking at the needs of the child, and this is more about the needs of the education system rather than the needs of the child. It is on that basis, on behalf of the most vulnerable children in the education system, that I ask that the Minister have a look at this again. It is an area worth looking at. The parents deserve at least that the Minister look again at this process.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to clarify for the Deputy that the Government has maintained funding for resources for children with special educational needs at a time when, as everybody in the House will be aware, there is a continued requirement to make expenditure savings across a range of areas.

The programme for Government clearly states that education will be a priority for the Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the education experience of children, young people and students. In this regard, the Department has prioritised the level of supports being provided to special schools.

I wish to reiterate that there has been no reduction in the number of teaching staff allocated in the special school sector for the 2012-13 year. That does not mean that some schools have not had a reduction in their allocation and that other schools have not had an increase, but overall there has been no reduction in the staff allocated in the special school sector for the 2012-13 school year.

However, at a time of constrained resources it is necessary to manage and deploy resources as prudently and effectively as possible. It is, therefore, necessary to suppress any surplus posts in schools which have excess teaching posts in order to ensure there are posts available to meet the needs of schools with growing pupil numbers. I think the Deputy will agree that resources left in an area that are not in accordance with criteria mean public resources are not available for another deserving area.