Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she will introduce guidelines for special needs provision in post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7254/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has already undertaken the preparation of guidelines for special needs provision in post-primary schools. These guidelines have been prepared in consultation with representatives of special education departments engaged in providing training to teachers in the area of special needs education at second level. The draft guidelines are currently being edited and discussions will commence shortly with the relevant interest bodies prior to circulation to second level schools.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if all pupils with disabilities at primary and second level will receive the maximum support and assistance in 2005; and if she will report on new services coming on stream. [7255/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Every effort is made to ensure that children with special educational needs receive an education appropriate to their needs. Decisions regarding the most appropriate model of response in each particular case are based on the professionally-assessed needs of the individual child. Children who have been assessed as having special educational needs have access to a range of special support services. The services range from special schools dedicated to particular disability groups, through special classes-units attached to ordinary schools, to placement on an integrated basis in ordinary schools, with special back-up supports.

My Department's policy is to ensure the maximum possible integration of children with special educational needs into ordinary mainstream schools. Many children with such needs are capable of attending mainstream schools on a fully integrated basis with the support, where necessary, of special resource teachers and/or special needs assistants.

Children with more severe disabilities are catered for in special schools which are dedicated to particular disability groups. There are 107 special schools in the country at present. These schools cater for children from four to 18 years of age and each school enjoys a significantly reduced pupil-teacher ratio and other staffing supports. Additional special needs assistant support is provided if deemed necessary. Special schools also receive increased rates of capitation funding.

Where placement in a special school is not considered necessary, children with special educational needs can attend special classes attached to ordinary mainstream schools. All special classes enjoy the same increased levels of staffing and funding as are made available to the special schools. Children with special educational needs attending special classes attached to ordinary schools may, where appropriate, be integrated into ordinary classes for periods of the school day and, in that way, benefit from being able to socialise with their non-disabled peers. While children are awaiting a suitable educational placement, my Department may sanction home tuition as an interim measure, if appropriate.

The following dedicated resources are now deployed to support children with special educational needs in the primary system: more than 2,600 resource teachers — up from 104 in 1998; more than 1,500 learning support teachers — up from 1,302 in 1998; more than 1,000 teachers in special schools; more than 600 teachers in special classes; more than 5,000 special needs assistants — up from 300 in 1998; more than €30 million on school transport for special needs pupils; more than €3 million towards specialised equipment and materials — up from €800,000 in 1998.

To appreciate the scale of improvement in the provision of resources to primary schools for special needs, it is worth reflecting on the fact that, at approximately 10,700, the number of adults providing services to children with special educational needs in primary schools today equates to more than half of the 21,100 primary teaching force in 1998.

The level of resources being made available by my Department to support students with special educational needs in the second level system has also grown significantly in recent years. In the current school year to date, my Department has allocated approximately 1,386 whole-time equivalent teachers and approximately 626 special needs assistants to second level schools and VECs to cater for the special educational needs of students at second level. This represents an increase of approximately 280 resource teacher posts and approximately 160 special needs assistant posts on the previous school year.

The Deputy will be aware that with effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with disabilities who have special educational needs and, in particular, it is responsible for the following: deciding on applications for resource teaching hours in respect of children with low incidence disabilities with special educational needs at primary level; deciding on applications for additional teaching support in respect of children with disabilities with special educational needs at second level; and deciding on applications for special needs assistant, SNA, hours.

Under the new arrangements, the council, through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, will process the relevant application for resources at primary and post-primary level and inform the school of the outcome. It is important to note that in the case of decisions on resource teaching and SNAs, the SENO will outline the process to the school and parents, where appropriate, and will at the end of the process outline the basis on which the decision was made. I am confident that the advent of the NCSE will prove of major benefit in ensuring that all children with special educational needs receive the support they require when and where they require it.

My Department has recently issued a circular and letter advising the authorities of primary and post-primary schools respectively, of the arrangements put in place as a result of the transfer of these functions to the NCSE. My Department is continuing to prioritise the development of the network of special educational provision for children with special needs. The steps taken in recent years and those currently in hand represent significant progress in the development of those services. The enactment of the Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act and the establishment of the NCSE have provided the key to underpin service delivery in the future.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the review regarding the allocation of learning support and resource teachers will be concluded; if resource hours will be allocated on a needs basis as opposed to an enrolment basis; her views on whether the proposed system discriminates against all-girls schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7256/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In light of the reality that pupils in the high incidence disability categories of mild and borderline mild general learning disability and dyslexia are distributed throughout the education system, my Department, in consultation with educational interests, developed a general model of resource teacher allocation to schools to support students in these disability categories. This model, which was announced by my predecessor in 2004 to come into effect from September 2005, was designed to put in place a permanent resource in primary schools to cater for pupils in these categories.

The model was constructed so that allocations would be based on pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this regard. The logic behind having a general allocation model is to reduce the need for individual applications and supporting psychological assessments and put resources in place on a more systematic basis, thereby giving schools more certainty about their resource levels. This will allow for better planning in schools, greater flexibility in identifying and intervening earlier with regard to pupils' special needs, as well as making the posts more attractive to qualified teachers.

As I have informed the Dáil on a number of occasions, I am, however, conscious of difficulties that could arise in respect of the model announced last year, particularly for children in small and rural schools, if it were implemented as currently proposed. Accordingly, I am having the proposed model reviewed to ensure that it provides an automatic response for pupils with common mild learning disabilities, without the need for cumbersome individual applications, while at the same time ensuring that pupils currently in receipt of service continue to receive the level of service appropriate to their needs. In carrying out the review, my Department is consulting with representative interests including the National Council for Special Education.

I have made it clear that I am in favour of using a general allocation model to ensure that we have in place a permanent resource in our primary schools to cater for pupils with high incidence mild disabilities and learning difficulties. However, it will not be as announced last year. The revised procedure for providing a general allocation of resource hours to schools will be announced in the coming weeks, in time to be implemented for the next school year. In the lower incidence disability categories, resources will continue to be allocated on the basis of individual applications.

It is important that where there is a particular special need in the low incidence category that these children are considered individually. These pupils are not evenly distributed among schools and a general allocation model would not be appropriate. However, the involvement of the National Council for Special Education and the special education needs organisers will greatly enhance the speed of response to such applications.