Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 834: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the degree to which she expects to increase the number of resource, remedial or special needs teachers at all schools throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20105/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy is aware, a new scheme for allocating resource teachers to primary schools to cater for the needs of children with high incidence special needs and learning support needs, was announced last month.

To ensure that every school has enough resource teaching hours to meet the needs of its pupils, an extra 660 resource teaching posts are being put in place for next September. Some 340 of these are permanent posts and 320 are temporary posts being provided to ensure that children who had been given an individual allocation of resource teaching hours by my Department will keep these in situations where the general allocation to the school would not be sufficient to allow the school to provide these hours from within its general allocation.

As of next September there will be more than 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares to under 1,500 in 1998. One out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs.

It is also the case that pupils with low incidence special needs, such as autism, will continue to be catered for on an individual application basis. However, the establishment of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, last January and the recruitment of special educational needs organisers, SENOs, throughout the country has greatly enhanced the speed of response to such applications.

Children with more severe disabilities are catered for in 107 special schools which are dedicated to particular disability groups throughout the country. Where placement in a special school is not considered necessary, children with special educational needs can attend one of over 600 special classes attached to ordinary mainstream primary schools. Children attending special schools and classes enjoy a significantly reduced pupil teacher ratio and other staffing supports. My Department, in conjunction with the National Council for Special Education, will continue to sanction additional provision in these areas where particular needs are identified.

The Government and I, as Minister for Education and Science, are deeply committed to improving services for children with special needs. In addition to the significant increase in resource teachers in recent years, the introduction of this new general allocation scheme will ensure a faster and more flexible response for children with special needs.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 835: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to provide speech and language therapy teachers in accordance with the requirements as set out by the various school authorities throughout the country at primary and second level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20106/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department will establish speech and language classes, with appropriate teaching support, where a need for such classes is established. However I wish to advise the Deputy that the provision of speech and language therapists is a matter for my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 836: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which she expects to increase the number of special needs assistants available at second level schools throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20107/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The level of resources being made available to support students with special educational needs in the second level system has grown significantly in recent years. In the current school year, my Department has allocated approximately 632 whole-time equivalent special needs assistants to second level schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. This represents an increase of approximately 167 special needs assistant posts on the previous school year.

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2003. With effect from 1 January 2005, the NCSE, through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, will process resource applications for children with special educational needs. Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply to thelocal SENO for additional teaching support and-or special needs assistant support for the pupil. I am confident the establishment of the National Council for Special Education 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.