Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 415: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if additional finance will be provided for the purpose of providing support for special needs pupils at a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37591/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a range of supports for second level school management to enable schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and resource teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over key functions from my Department of special educational provision. The NCSE was formally established as an independent statutory body on 1 October 2005 under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2005. The council acts under the broad policy direction of my Department but has the resources and the remit to play the leading role in the delivery of education services to children with disabilities or special needs.

Under the new arrangements, the council, through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, will process the relevant application for resources and inform the school of the outcome. It is important to note that in the case of decisions on additional teaching and SNA support, 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.

An additional staffing allocation of 0.89 whole-time equivalent teaching posts and one special needs assistant post has been granted to cater for the special educational needs of the pupils enrolled in the school to which the Deputy refers.