Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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119. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there is no consistent policy regarding individual education plans in operation in schools for children with special needs as per the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8776/15]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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There are no consistent policies regarding individual education plans operating in schools as per the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, EPSEN. Might the Minister indicate when she is going to ensure that individual education plans become standardised and fully operational in schools?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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At present, all schools are encouraged to use education plans. The departmental inspectorate's advice is that the majority of schools are now using some form of individual education planning for children with special needs. In line with circular 30 of 2014, schools are required to put in place a personal pupil plan including a care plan for all pupils availing of SNA support.

In light of the very difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved in fully implementing the EPSEN Act, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of the Act. A number of sections of the Act have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to education of children. However, the Act's provisions concerning individual education plans have not yet been commenced. It is intended to bring into effect many of the good ideas contained in the Act, on a non-statutory basis initially, through policy developments across a range of areas, in conjunction with the NCSE policy advice.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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We have been told in this Chamber on many occasions that the Government has not cut resources in this area but, as the Minister knows well, demand has risen dramatically. The children who are now suffering the most are the new ones coming into schools. They are already starting off on a weak footing, given that there is no SNA support for children in the preschool year. Not only are they at a disadvantage at the ages of three and four, they are falling further behind because the Government is not prepared to put SNA support into the free preschool year. It beggars belief that those who most need the Minister's help are getting the least of it at this stage. We all know what early investment means and how vital it is. It would be a bit like the Government coming up with a housing policy and building some social houses but deciding to put the homeless at the bottom of the list and let them wait the longest.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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On the preschool year again, there is a cross-departmental group established by the Minister, Deputy Reilly, who has responsibility for the funding of the free preschool year. My responsibility is for the educational content of the early years and I have a number of measures in that regard, which I outlined in answer to an earlier question.

There are no special needs assistants in preschool. Certain supports are provided by the HSE at that level but it is not directly under the Department of Education and Skills. It would not be within our power to establish special needs assistants in preschools.

However, in a recent circular, we indicated clearly that children who have special needs assistants must have individual care plans but it is in the school system and I think the Deputy's question was more about the preschool system.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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A big problem is that the Minister is leaving much of it to individual schools and this can lead to patchy outcomes and a lack of proper planning and accountability. There is no mandatory obligation on schools to implement the recommendations of the report, as the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act has not been implemented in full and special educational needs organisers do not even attend the individual education plan, IEP, process for that reason. There is no mandatory requirement on schools to provide IEPs and many do not provide them.

A more hands-on approach is needed, as is a more centralised policy. Firmer guidance must be put in place by Government. Some schools will come up trumps, while others will not. Unless the Government is prepared to implement the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act in full, then children will continue to be left short. The Minister knows that if the money was allocated to this, it would make a massive difference to these children because they are the most vulnerable of all. They keep falling behind because the Minister argues she does not have the money to look after them.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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On the question of money, in the last budget, for example, there was a considerable increase in the number of resource teachers and special needs assistants. That has been the case for a number of years and I am sure it will be the case again next year.

As the Deputy knows, the National Council for Special Education has put forward a proposed new model of allocation of resources. We will not implement that next September because we do not have all the data we require to do it properly. However, we will introduce a pilot scheme and I think that will provide us with an opportunity to evaluate the effect on individual children of the way in which the current system is implemented.

Between the general allocation model and the specific allocations that come through the National Council for Special Education, there has been a considerable yearly increase in the resources available in this area. However, I acknowledge more work needs to be done. When we have a debate on the implementation of the new model, that will allow us to take a more comprehensive approach to children with special educational needs in schools. That is what the Deputy is looking to achieve.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I agree completely with Deputy Wallace. The other issue is the number of National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, psychologists available. I recognise the number has increased under this Government. I think it has gone back up to the 2011 number. However, when NEPS psychologists go on maternity leave or are out sick, they are not replaced. Therefore, we never have a full allocation of NEPS psychologists available and that is having an impact on the number of assessments, which lead to IEPs being put in place, that can be carried out. That area needs to be addressed.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I am glad the Deputy acknowledged we brought the numbers back up. When explaining that we would not introduce the new model this year, I announced that we would have a sort of one-stop-shop in regard to these kinds of supports. Therefore, the NEPS, the National Council for Special Education and other supports available will all be in the one area and people will not have to move around different sections of the Department to gain the support and the information they need. One of the things that struck me when consulting parents in regard to special educational needs allocations was that sometimes there is a lack of knowledge because until a parent has a child with special needs, he or she will have no reason to know this information. We need to improve the information we give to parents.