Seanad debates
Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Special Educational Needs
11:30 am
Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Byrne, go dtí an Teach.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in 160 children has an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, but some studies have reported a figure as high as one in 59. Whatever the figures, we all know that the number of children being diagnosed with autism is continuing to rise. That is a worrying development and a statement that poses many questions.
ASD, as the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, knows, entails a wide range of symptoms, including problems and difficulties with social interaction, impaired language and communication skills, and different patterns of thought and physical behaviour. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and while many children, with support, thrive in mainstream schools, some require more targeted and specific supports in ASD units, where class numbers are small. A special class for autism has a pupil–teacher ratio of 6:1.5, and usually two special needs assistants, SNAs, are allocated to each class. I acknowledge the growth in the number of special and early intervention classes for children with autism that are attached to special and mainstream schools, as well as special classes for children with Asperger's syndrome.
I appreciate that in 2023 the expenditure on special education supports for children and young people with special educational needs and their schools was substantially in excess of €2.6 billion. That is money very well spent. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the educational provision for children with special educational needs nationwide. I understand that it has introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient mainstream special classes and special places, with more than 600 new special classes sanctioned at primary level and more than 300 new special classes sanctioned at post-primary level and five new special schools established over the past three years. The Government, therefore, has been very proactive in this regard. I welcome the progress, as I am sure many do.
However, parents of children with ASD in Monaghan town have raised the lack of special classes or units in local schools. Their children have to be transported to units in rural locations some miles away, necessitating longer travelling times and longer days for children who already have many challenges. Parents want the Minister of State to explain how the development of ASD units in the county under the supervision of the NCSE has led to the largest town in the county, which has the largest schoolgoing population in the county, having no ASD unit. More important, perhaps, can he advise on a pathway forward to address this particular issue? I look forward to his response.
Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas as an bhfáilte. Tá mé anseo in ionad an Aire, an Teachta Ní Fhoghlú. Tá sí ag binse an Rialtais faoi láthair.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an t-ábhar seo a ardú inniu. A priority for this Government is to ensure all children have an appropriate school placement and that the necessary supports are provided to schools to cater for the needs of children with special education needs. It is important to remember that the vast majority of children with special education needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. To support children with more complex needs, special classes in mainstream schools and special schools are provided. This year, the Department will spend in excess of €2.6 billion, or more than 27% of its budget, on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs. For 2023, the Department has further increased the number of teaching and special needs assistant, SNA, posts in our schools. There will be an extra 686 teachers and an extra 1,194 SNAs in our schools by the end of the year. For the first time ever, we will have more than 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and more than 20,000 special needs assistants who will be focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. The Department of Education and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient mainstream special classes and special school places. The initiatives are bearing fruit, with almost 1,300 new special classes sanctioned over the past four years and seven new special schools established in recent years.
As the demand for new special classes at post-primary level will increase significantly over the next few years, the Department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders regarding the provision of special classes. In October, the Department wrote to all post-primary schools, including all of those in Monaghan town, to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools, including those in Monaghan town, will be required to provide special classes over the next three to five years, with an approximate average of four special classes in each school. As a result of forward planning, two special schools for 2023-24 have been announced, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools. Along with the two new special schools, 389 new special classes - 252 at primary and 137 at post-primary level - have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023-24 school year.
Senator Gallagher referred specifically to Monaghan, and I have information with me in respect of County Monaghan. In County Monaghan three new classes have been sanctioned for the new school year - two at primary level and one at post-primary level. This brings the total number of special classes in the county to 42, of which 28 are at primary level and 14 at post-primary level.
The NCSE has advised the Department that there are sufficient special class places to meet the needs of children known to it for this school year. As further children become known to the NCSE during the course of this school year, it will be available, as always, to support those families at local level to work to secure an appropriate placement for their child. The Department and the NCSE are already working closely in relation to the forward planning of further special classes for the coming school year and beyond.
I thank Senator Gallagher for his commitment to County Monaghan. Both the Department and the NCSE will continue to monitor and review the need for further new special classes and schools or the expansion of existing special schools over the coming months and years.
Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. As I outlined, quite a number of parents from Monaghan town are transporting their children to different parts of the county in order to access special needs provision for their children. They ask genuinely asking whether there should be more places available in Monaghan town where the families themselves reside. I welcome the fact that the NCSE and the Department wrote to all schools asking them to come forward with projected numbers in that regard. I look forward to a situation arising where more places are available for parents and their children in Monaghan town so that families will not have to get their children up early in the morning and travel miles to school. It is important that they can do that as close to their locality as possible. I look forward to developments going forward.
Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The Department continues to look for strategic locations for special schools provision. That is happening in County Monaghan as well. We are also working with parents, as is the Senator, schools, patron bodies and stakeholders in Monaghan to provide sufficient specialist places for children with special educational needs. As I said, there is a strategic review under way and four special classes will be provided in all new post-primary schools. There will also be other large-scale projects. The Department will not build large-scale projects for schools if there are no special classes in them so that is something schools should bear in mind. Schools have received correspondence from the Department this year and in October last year, the Department wrote to all post-primary schools noting the need to plan for additional classes. It would be just as well for schools to respond to that as soon as they can. If certain schools are unwilling to do so, that will simply not be permitted under the new legislation.
Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his time on what is a very busy day for him.