James Breen (Clare, Independent)
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Question 643: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the criteria used in drawing up clusters; the reason the inspectorate has no role in this or in the allocation of resource hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24265/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A new scheme for allocating resource teachers to schools to cater for the needs of children with high incidence special needs and learning support needs was announced last month. The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school should have a number of resource teaching hours based on the number of pupils in the school.

This is a major improvement on the previous system, under which children with high incidence special needs required a psychological assessment before they were given resource teaching hours by the Department. This was a time consuming process that often led to delays in children getting the support they needed. Resource teachers will now be in place in the school from the start of the school year, so that children who need their assistance can get it immediately.

Clustering facilitates the assignment of experienced teachers as well as allowing for better training of resource teachers on the basis that permanent posts will retain teachers for longer periods. This ultimately benefits the pupils.

The considerations taken into account in drawing up the clusters for the purposes of the new general allocation model were a combination of the levels of allocations of teachers, geographic location and existing levels of special needs teaching supports in schools generally.

The Department's inspectorate had a significant role in the initial organisation of new clusters as part of the general allocation system. Further clusters are now being proposed by schools where they wish to combine general allocation hours and/or low incidence hours for the purposes of establishing new or retaining existing resource teaching posts. Such proposals are being considered and responded to by my officials.

The National Council for Special Education, which became operational on 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports in primary schools and special schools.

In consideration of these developments, there is no longer an ongoing role for the Department's inspectorate in the allocation of resources for pupils with special educational needs in general.