Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

I am pleased to have the opportunity to clarify some of the issues raised by the Senator. This special school caters for pupils with a mild general learning disability and also has a special class for pupils with autism. I can confirm that the school currently has the services of one principal and 16 class teachers. The school also has an allocation of two full-time temporary posts.

One of the post holders provides outreach support while the second provides for specialist subjects at post-primary level such as art, woodwork and home economics. In addition, the Department of Education and Science provides 2,280 co-operation hours to the City of Limerick VEC to support students in the Catherine McAuley school. Co-operation arrangements with institutions are long-standing arrangements under which VECs provide teaching services to institutions as part of the VEC remit to provide for continuing education in their areas.

Special schools generally cater for pupils from four to 18 years old. Many special schools, including the Catherine McAuley school, offer the junior certificate school programme, the junior certificate, the leaving certificate applied, and Further Education and Training Awards Council, FETAC, programmes for their special needs students at post-primary level. The Department of Education and Science sanctions teaching hours to these schools to facilitate provision of these programmes.

The Department proposes to carry out a comprehensive review of all special schools in the country. The Minister will ask her Department in consultation with the National Council for Special Education and other partners to consider how they can optimise the role and potential of special schools.

The Department believes that sufficient staffing support is given to the school in question to enable it to provide a broad curriculum for its students. I hope this clarifies the position and I thank the Senator for raising the matter with me.