Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is very welcome to the Chamber. I wish her well and congratulate her on the new role. I have not seen her here since her appointment.

I received correspondence from Lorraine Lowry, the principal of Scoil Chormaic, signed by all of the staff, in which she outlines some of the concerns the schools has related to special schools. It is appropriate that I read out the letter and have some of the concerns place on the record of the House. They know on the ground exactly what is needed for these kids and pupils. It states:

Scoil Chormaic is a Special School providing education to 219 children and young people from the age of 3 to 18. We have pre-school, primary school and post primary students enrolled in our school. We support children with more severe and/or complex special educational needs.

We believe that disability should never be a barrier to achievement but it is becoming increasingly apparent that with the increasing scarcity of resources and lack of services that our school community is suffering. We, all the members of staff at Scoil Chormaic, Cashel, want to highlight the difficulty we face as a school community in order to have our school provided with essential and necessary resources...

The SERC report was published in 1993 and it continues to provide a basis for special education policy and practice.

The Special Education Review Committee (SERC) report 1993 is used to determine our pupil ratio to SNA and teacher allocation. It is severely outdated. For example, a MGLD class of 11 pupils is resourced with one teacher and 0.25 (quarter) of an SNA. This is completely inadequate to meet the needs of our students.

Our students require extra support to attend and take part in school over and above what teachers can provide. Additional care needs arise because of physical needs, sensory needs, behaviours of concern, social communications, social interaction needs and learning needs. SNA’s are essential to enable students to access their learning.

If children require additional support over and above the general allocation (SERC allocation), schools must apply to the NCSE for a review of their SNA allocation invoking a whole school review, this is a very long and arduous process. The provision of additional SNA support is further hindered by the lack of HSE supporting documentation. Children are once again penalised as their applications for additional support do not meet NCSE criteria if it is not accompanied by a therapy report/document. The review process rarely, if ever yields adequate resources. The teacher allocation to special schools also needs urgent review.

The needs of the children have become more complex but the resources have not increased with the need e.g. dual diagnosis and behaviours of concern. We are in no way facilitated to deal with severe behaviours of concern. When a pupil is going through a phase of crisis, our school should get all the supports needed immediately; additional staff, training, additional physical space, to name a few. The principal in conjunction and consultation with the staff team should have the autonomy to set up the resources as required on a class by class basis.

HSE therapeutic services are wholly inadequate. There is a drastic need for multi-disciplinary teams within our schools to provide the necessary and deserved support to our most vulnerable students. Waiting times for CDNT interventions and support are too lengthy; windows of opportunity for progression are lost. There is an urgent need for clinical psychology and behavioural support therapy that can support both home and school resulting in better outcomes for our students’ and their families.

When resources are lacking or not there at all, the children’s holistic needs are not being met. We do not have the multidisciplinary/early intervention approach that is deemed best practice.

The system is failing our school community, this failure is having a drastic impact on our school.

I will finish my contribution when I come back in after the Minister of State.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels in support of students with special educational needs in special schools, in accordance with the Department’s policies. Special school staffing allocations will continue to be reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE. Special schools are staffed on the basis of their actual student profiles and the disability category of each student. This is in recognition of the work of many special schools in adapting their designation and admitting students with a wide range of special educational needs in order to meet the needs of their local communities. The Department welcomes and supports this practice and special schools are encouraged to expand their admission policy to provide special school educational opportunities for students with the most complex needs. The Department and the NCSE see the strongest growth for additional special school placements from students with autism and complex learning needs, moderate general learning disability and severe to profound general learning disability. Special schools will continue to be staffed on the basis of each year’s current school enrolments and the disability category of each student. It is a matter for special schools to deploy their teaching staff in accordance with the needs of the student cohort and to ensure age-appropriate placement. A package of supports specific to special schools was secured in budget 2024. These targeted measures include the removal of the current 15 teacher threshold for the appointment of administrative deputy principals in special schools supporting children with the most complex special educational needs, so that all of these schools, rather than just a quarter, can benefit from having an administrative deputy principal. These posts will be instrumental in assisting principals with leadership and management functions and to support learning and parental and community engagement. This will make a real difference to staff and students in our special schools. An additional allocation of 100 teaching posts will be provided to all special schools supporting children with the most complex special educational needs. I am conscious that our special schools provide an education for children and young people aged between four and 18 and these posts will allow schools to deliver a greater range of the national curriculum subjects and to improve student progression and transition. Special schools will also benefit from the general increase in capitation rates which apply to all schools.

It is particularly important that special schools are supported to meet the needs of more students with complex needs in their catchment areas and to avoid the need for children and young people to have to travel a significant distance to another special school to access an education. The provision of therapy supports for children with disabilities and the children's disability network team service is the responsibility of the Department of children and the Health Service Executive. Any queries in this regard should be addressed directly to the Department of children and the HSE. Queries relating to primary care and mental health therapy services are the responsibility of the Department of Health.

The Department is acutely aware of the extent of the challenge for all schools, and special schools in particular, in meeting the needs of children with complex special educational needs. I assure the Senator that the Department is doing everything possible in its engagement with the HSE and the Departments of children and Health to ensure that therapeutic services are available to children who most need those services. As the Senator may know, we now have a special Cabinet committee to make sure we all work together on this matter. As I said, this commitment is voiced in the new Cabinet committee on children, education and disability, which includes all relevant Departments and Ministers. We are committed to working to improve the lives of children and young people, particularly those with a disability or special educational need. That allows us as Ministers and Ministers of State to focus our discussion on matters such as therapeutic supports. I hear the Senator loud and clear.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response. It must be acknowledged that a lot was done in budget 2024. The Taoiseach has made this a priority by appointing the Minister of State to the role and having her in Cabinet. From the perspective of principals, they get frustrated when they hear this is the responsibility of the Department of children or this is the responsibility of the Department of Health. It is about helping young kids with special educational needs in a school. While I understand that, the role the Minister of State has now within Cabinet with the committee that has been set up is to find solutions. What I hear from talking to staff and the principal in Cashel is that staff are overwhelmed and unable to do their jobs. It is extremely difficult for them. All they ask is that decisions be made by Government that are reflective of the needs of the students of today, not of the needs of the students of 30 years ago. If we do that, it will enhance their jobs and roles. They want to give 100% to the 200 plus students in Cashel. They want to provide a service that gives those kids the opportunities to go as far as they can in life. To do that, they need the support of those in government.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Senator is absolutely correct that we are all working together to ensure that these children have access to the supports they need. He raised an important question. I reassure him that the NCSE is committed to ensuring that all children can access education suitable to their needs. Special school staffing is reviewed by the NCSE every year. Generally, the number of staff allocated is in excess of the original baseline of the SERC guidelines. Staffing is based on a school's student profile, which the Senator knows, and individual disability category. The Department also recognises that special schools face unique challenges and is committed to ensuring that schools are adequately resourced and supported will. The coming school year will see the introduction of deputy principal posts for all special schools and an additional 100 teaching posts, which will greatly benefit these schools. I reassure the Senator that the Department is doing everything possible in its engagement with the HSE, the Department of children and the Department of Health. We all need to work together to ensure that therapeutic services are available to the children who most need those services.