Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 852: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details attached) in County Donegal is unable to have the help of a classroom assistant and who may have to leave school if such help is not forthcoming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14848/06]

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

My Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable them cater for pupils with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and additional 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 in the area of special educational provision. The NCSE was formally established as an independent statutory body on the 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.

The NCSE co-ordinates with the health services, schools and other relevant bodies regarding the provision of education and related support services to children with disabilities or special needs.

The responsibilities of the NCSE include the following — deciding on applications for additional teaching support in respect of children with disabilities with special educational needs at second level; deciding on applications for special needs assistant, SNA, hours; processing applications for school placement in respect of children with disabilities with special education needs.

The precise model of provision made available at second level will depend on the assessed needs of the pupils involved. Special needs assistant posts are allocated where the professionally assessed needs of a child or children involved is such as to require the delivery of such support. 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.

My Department has been informed by the NCSE that an application for special needs assistant support in respect of the pupil in question has been examined by the SENO, who decided that the needs of the pupil were not such as to require SNA support.