Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following:

"recognising that:

- in the last 10 years major improvements have been made to the range of supports available for children with special educational needs;

- investment in supports for special needs is now over €1 billion;

- there are over 8,600 resource and learning support teachers in our schools;

- there are over 10,000 Special Needs Assistants in our schools;

- in total, there are over 20,000 adults supporting children with special educational needs in our schools;

-the inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream schools is a national and international development that is supported in national legislation and in statements, reports and conventions that have emanated from such international bodies as the United Nations and the Council of Europe;

- improved collaboration between the education and health sectors has been prioritised, with the appointment of a Minister of State with that specific responsibility;

commends the Government's determination, in a difficult economic environment with many competing demands for funding, to continue to prioritise investment for children with special educational needs by:

- continuing to implement its long-standing policy of allocating Teachers and Special Needs Assistants to mainstream and special schools as required;

- developing, in consultation with stakeholders, a costed multi-annual plan to implement some priority aspects of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 focussing on measurable, practical progress in education and health services for children with special needs;

- increasing the number of Educational Psychologists to provide support for every school in the country;

- enhancing the capacity of the National Council for Special Education to co-ordinate the provision of services to children with special educational needs; and

- funding the provision of expert support, professional development and training opportunities in special education for principals, class and subject teachers, special class teachers, learning support and resource teachers and special needs assistants.

We had a debate two weeks ago on college places. The media ran with many stories that every two students would be fighting for one college place. We came to this Chamber and we got the facts that there was a ratio of 1.6:1. When I was doing my leaving certificate, I applied to the CAO with no intention of going to college in this jurisdiction as I always intended to go to the North, but I had to cover my bases. There is a real story in the statistics, but the real statistic is 1.6:1, is no different to the 6% increase in people applying for college places the previous year and is in line with other trends.

I welcome the fact that the Fine Gael Party has tabled this motion so that we can acknowledge the great work that has been done on special educational needs. However, I must go back to the point from where we should start - facts. The headlines last week caused great tension among people doing their leaving certificate. If we do not put the facts in context, we will put pressure on families. I was called to a meeting of the iCARE group. It is an exceptionally hard working group that supports autistic children on the Inishowen Peninsula. I attended a meeting on 15 February and it started with a claim that the group had to deal with these awful Government cutbacks before they touched it. Donegal went through this process earlier than everyone else because we had a problem and an issue with the special educational needs officer. The Department and the special education council had to intervene to look at how the SENO was carrying out evaluations. As a result of the review, many of the SNAs were put back in place.

I understand the pain of those involved in the process. What we never had, we never miss, but when we have had something, we do miss it. It is important the Minister has the opportunity to put the facts straight, that there are no cuts, that schools are being looked at if they were assigned an SNA for a child who has moved on out of school, meaning the SNA is no longer assigned to the original pupil.

I agree that we move on beyond that to look at the children who are left behind to see what their care needs are and to ensure there is support for them. The Government is committed to SNAs and special needs and there are issues we should be debating rationally.

I taught in Derry and had pupils with not just care needs but educational needs and people were in the room with me teaching. I always found it great to have a person assigned to a weaker student. There would be three students in front, three behind and two on either side of the care assistant, who was really an educational needs assistant. This was not just one person being helped, it was a cycle of people. While we are dealing with care needs, that issue of educational needs arose. Not only were six or seven people kept in tune in the classroom, it was a happier classroom because if six or seven people do not understand what the teacher is doing while he or she is trying to teach more than 30 students, those who cannot keep up will play up, leading to a more difficult class.

The Minister has categorically stated that the scheme has not been changed and the criteria for allocating SNAs remain the same. There are people with children who have toileting needs, dyspraxia and who are a danger to themselves, as Senator Healy Eames mentioned. There is a sense that many of these children will grow out of it or that they can be trained. I want to ensure the child with toileting needs, dyspraxia, a physical disability or who is a danger to himself is not expected to grow out of that without reference to the particular circumstances. A child with autism or Asperger's syndrome will not grow out of it. When the Minister says the criteria have not been changed for SNA allocations, I assume that means that anyone with a need will have it met.

The move to incorporate the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy John Moloney, is very important. Links between health and education cannot be overstated. A teacher said to me recently that for a child who does not keep up in the classroom, either with a care need or an education need, knowing that they are unable to keep up has a mental health effect. The link between the two Departments is vital. The Department of Transport should also be involved, unless school transport is already covered by the Department of Education and Science.

People are terrified by what they read in the national press. That is why it is important to debate this and state the facts. We must look at a panel for the SNAs who are moved from a school because the children have moved on. In my area, SNAs would love the security of a place on a panel. They have built up a lot of experience and they deserve that support.

I agree that there should be greater communication between the NCSE and parents. The special educational needs officer will come in and look at the child in the classroom. The child will be on his or her best behaviour for the duration of the stranger's visit. As soon as he is gone, the child will be swinging off the back of the chair. The manner the SENO comes in and how long he spends in the classroom is an issue. There is a feeling that they are trying to trip the SNAs up when they talk to them instead of trying to get information from them. It has become an interview process.

The National Council on Special Education should be the guardians of special needs children. We should do all we can to ensure that is what it does. In future, the concept of a health check at two and a half for every child would mean resources could be allocated from then on. The child who shows symptoms at two and a half may later be the child with autism or dyspraxia. To be able to plan ahead is important.

The Minister is doing a lot of good work and his heart is in the special needs area and will continue to be so.