Results 8,001-8,020 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am only telling the Deputy what was reported to me. If that is the case, the SNA should not be in the school.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: That is the report I received from the NCSE.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware special education continues to be a key Government policy. There has been unprecedented investment in providing supports for pupils with special needs in recent years. There are now about 20,000 adults in our schools working solely with pupils with special needs. This figure includes more than 10,000 special needs assistants, SNAs, 8,600 resource and learning...

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have made a statement on this matter. As the Deputy will be aware, some special needs assistants have been-----

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I made and communicated a decision that some posts are being created in schools while others are being removed. I will not set out the factual position until the review, which is due for completion at the end of March, has concluded.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education is independent of the Minister and I do not interfere in its operations. While I obtain information from the council, it would not be appropriate at this point to provide figures on the current position given that the final figure will be different. The NSCE is removing some SNA posts and creating new posts elsewhere.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: We do not know what is the position at this point.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy indicated I am hiding behind the NCSE. This Parliament established the National Council for Special Education as an independent body. The Minister should not interfere in the operations of the council, which has a job to do. Criteria have been laid down for determining whether a child requires a special needs assistant. The scheme is demand led and if a child meets the...

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is important that a proper appeals system is in place.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have piloted 22 schools and I have indicated clearly to the NCSE that where there are difficulties, because this is emotionally charged and parents are genuinely concerned, to meet through the school with parents whose children would be affected. That is important.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will also be aware that the NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is at present carrying out a review on the allocation of SNAs in schools with a view to ensuring the criteria governing the allocation of such posts are properly met. This exercise may result in the identification of surplus posts which are in the system and which do not...

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is important for me to set out the position with the school. It is a special school and it is supposed to be catering for mild general learning disability. There are now 89 pupils enrolled. When the NCSE undertook its review in the school, it discovered that 23 of the pupils did not have a mild general learning disability-----

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: -----that five of the pupils had ASD and seven of the pupils had a moderate general learning disability.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Some of the other students did not have any assessed special educational need. The school has 89 pupils with a staffing of an administrative principal, 15 teachers, four teachers who provide special subject hours and 17 special needs assistants. In 2002-03, there were 122 pupils and the school had one teacher extra with the same number of SNAs. Even though there has been a drop in the...

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is important I get the facts on the record.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is important that children are placed appropriately.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The pupil-teacher ratio for children who have autism is 6:1.

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The pupil-teacher ratio for children who have moderate general learning disability is 8:1. The pupil-teacher ratio for children who have mild general learning disability is 11:1 and the Department accepts 9:1. I am equally concerned about those children. I am equally concerned that they get the proper supports in the proper environment and that all necessary support is in place for them....

Special Educational Needs. (4 Mar 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: -----and that is agreed. We have asked the school to engage with the NCSE. We are prepared to get NEPS to examine and categorise those children properly in order that they are provided with the proper and necessary supports they are due.