Written answers

Tuesday, 18 May 2004

Department of Education and Science

Special Educational Needs

9:00 pm

Photo of John PerryJohn Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on the work to date of the National Council for Special Education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14263/04]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education has been established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order, 2003. The order requires the council to undertake its full range of functions with effect from 1 October 2004.

My Department is in the process of agreeing protocols for the transfer of specific functions and future operating procedures to the council. I know that the council is in the process of establishing its headquarters and arranging the employment of special education needs organisers and other staff. As the Deputy is aware, the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill 2003 is on Report Stage in Dáil Éireann at present. The Bill includes provision for a National Council for Special Education, which will supersede the existing council. It also provides that a wider and more specific range of functions be assigned to that council.

While both the order and the Bill make formal provision for the council to report to the Minister for Education and Science on its activities, questions relating to specific operations should be directed to the council itself.

Photo of Olivia MitchellOlivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of outstanding applications for special educational resources that are waiting to be assessed by his Department; the number of applications that have been processed since the start of 2004; the length of time it has taken to process these applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14281/04]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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My Department received more than 8,400 applications for special education resources since 15 February 2003. The batch of approximately 5,000 applications received between 15 February and 31 August 2003 are being considered at present. Priority was given to almost 1,000 cases involving children starting school last September and all those cases were responded to at or before the commencement of the current school year.

The balance of more than 4,000 applications in that batch has been reviewed by a dedicated team comprising members of my Department's inspectorate and the National Educational Psychological Service. Those applications are being further considered in the context of the outcome of surveys of special education resource provision conducted over the past year and the data submitted by schools as part of a nationwide census of such provision.

The processing of the applications is a complex and time-consuming operation. However, my Department is endeavouring to have this completed as quickly as possible and my officials will then respond to all applicant schools. Pending a response, schools are advised to refer to circular 24/03, which issued in September 2003. This circular contains practical advice on how to achieve the most effective deployment of resources already allocated for special educational needs within the school. In the case of teacher resources, the outcome for each applicant school will be based on a new weighted system of allocation which I announced recently. This system, as part of which an additional 350 teaching posts will be allocated, will involve two main elements: (a) making a staffing allocation to schools based on a predicted incidence of pupils with special educational needs; and (b) making individual allocations in the case of children with more acute lower-prevalence special educational needs.

It is expected that the change to a weighted system will bring with it a number of benefits. The new system will: reduce the need for individualised educational psychological assessment; reduce the volume of applications to my Department for additional resources for individual pupils; and give greater flexibility to schools, which will facilitate the development and implementation of improved systems and procedures in schools to meet the needs of pupils with low achievement and pupils with special educational needs.

Transitional arrangements for the introduction of the weighted system are being developed at present in consultation with representative interests. As soon as those consultations have been completed, the detailed arrangements for processing applications for resources, including those for special needs assistants and those received after 31 August last, will be set out in a circular to be issued to schools before the end of the current school year. It is intended also that applicant schools will be notified of the outcome in their case within this timeframe.

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