John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 512: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the services which will be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; the reason her Department will only give an indicative date in 2007 for assessment; if the assessment obtained privately by her Department will be accepted; if the appropriate treatment will follow based on this assessment; if the delay is a system failure within her Department; if lack of staff and resources are the cause of this delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19770/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I understand from my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) that the needs of the pupil in question was discussed informally by the school with a NEPS psychologist with a view to the psychologist providing advice and support in the case. I understand that the pupil has not been prioritised by the school for assessment and that he is not attending school at present. Assessment was not an issue for the school. If the pupil returns to school and if he is prioritised for assessment by the school principal, I am advised that he would be seen by a NEPS psychologist early in the next school year.

My Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs including the needs of pupils with autism. 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 relation to special educational provision. The NCSE was formally established as an independent statutory body on the 1st 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/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/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 NCSE, 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.

The Department supports the education of individual students with autism in various second level schools throughout the country. The precise model of provision made available at second level will depend on the assessed needs of the pupils involved. Some pupils are capable of attending ordinary classes on an integrated basis with additional teacher and/or special needs assistant support. In other cases, placement in special dedicated classes or units attached to the school may be the more appropriate response. Such special classes operate at significantly reduced pupil teacher ratios. Students attached to these special classes may be facilitated in attending ordinary subject classes on an integrated basis wherever possible.

In addition, my Department's Teacher Education Section has developed a strategy designed to meet the continuing professional development needs of personnel working with children with special educational needs. This involves a major expansion of the range of postgraduate professional training programmes available to teachers in the special needs area and the ongoing development of the Special Education Support Service (SESS) to support schools staff locally.

My Department will continue to ensure that the necessary resources are made available for the education of children with special needs. 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.