Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the plans she has to introduce a behaviour support service at primary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31451/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Earlier this year, I announced new Support Teams to work directly with schools experiencing serious behaviour problems in post-primary schools. I announced the plan following the publication of the final report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second Level Schools — School Matters. A new package of measures announced includes: A New regionally-based National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) to work with schools that have significant discipline problems; and Behaviour Support classrooms to be piloted in a number of schools.

The NBSS's role ranges from diagnosis of school problems to assistance with their remediation. This team will work with post-primary schools that are experiencing significant discipline problems. It is staffed by experienced practitioners from across the education sector, including additional Psychologists dedicated to this area. Administrative support is provided to the National Behaviour Support Service by Navan Education Centre.

There are no plans by my Department to introduce a behaviour support service for primary schools. However, my Department established the Special Education Support Service (SESS) in September, 2003 which is based at the Cork Education Centre. The aim of the service is to enhance the quality of teaching and learning with particular reference to the education of children with special needs in both primary and post-primary schools. The service provides support for school personnel working with pupils and students with special educational needs in a variety of educational settings including special schools and special classes. Challenging behaviour is one of the areas covered by the SESS.

Professional development and support is available to principals, middle management in schools, class teachers, subject teachers, special-class teachers, resource teachers and special needs assistants. It is open to the management authorities in schools to address any additional training needs for staff employed in their schools through the SESS.

During the school year 2005-2006 Schools for Students with Mild General Learning Disability were invited to avail of the following: 3-hour school whole-staff session — 'Introduction to Challenging Behaviour'; and 1-day seminar for whole staff — 'Managing Challenging Behaviour'. Special Schools that deal with serious and persistent challenging behaviour on a day-to-day basis that requires specific interventions, require specific continuous professional development on the use of such interventions at whole-staff and whole-team level. SESS full-funding for specialist training was made available to enable schools to provide whole-staff training as a summer course.

Teachers are able to avail of Extra Personal Vacation days. Almost €150,000 was made available for this purpose in summer 2006. It is intended to continue to provide for this as part of the SESS summer course programme in June 2007. SESS have received request from Mainstream Primary schools in which some students' behaviour is of grave concern to the principal and school. On a pilot basis, SESS has provided the following supports to a number of schools:

Delivery of whole-staff training on managing challenging behaviour;

Provision of support through engagement of personnel with specific expertise; and

Funding for specialist whole-staff training on managing challenging behaviour (on a pilot basis).

In 2005-2006 over 600 teachers participated in on-line course as follows:

'Positive Behaviour Support and Discipline' (287);

'Applied Behaviour Analysis' (ABA) (122); and

'Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder' (170).

In 2005-2006 over €11,000 was provided to enable teachers/schools avail of courses on challenging behaviour under the SESS-Local Initiatives Scheme.

I am satisfied that the steps taken in recent years, which I have covered in some detail, represent significant progress in the development of in-service for primary teachers experiencing behaviour problems.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will ensure that special needs assistants have training in autistic spectrum disorders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31452/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with special educational needs in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream school in situations where a pupil has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a danger to themselves or to other pupils.

Three Colleges of Education, namely St. Angela's College in Sligo, Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, and Church of Ireland College, Rathmines, in conjunction with the Education Centre network, have formulated and delivered officially recognised training courses for serving SNAs. These courses are designed to assist special needs assistants in meeting the care needs of all pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with autistic spectrum disorders.

The Deputy may be interested to know that, in September 2003, my Department established the Special Education Support Service (SESS) which is based at the Cork Education Centre. The aim of the service is to enhance the quality of teaching and learning with particular reference to the education of children with special needs. The service provides support for school personnel working with pupils and students with special educational needs in a variety of educational settings including special schools and special classes.

Professional development and support is available from the SESS for principals, middle management in schools, class teachers, subject teachers, special-class teachers, resource teachers and special needs assistants. It is open to the management authorities in schools to address any additional training needs for staff employed in their schools through the SESS.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will ensure that special needs assistants have training in resource; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31453/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the Deputy's question refers to training in the delivery of resource teaching support. I wish to advise the Deputy that the role of the special needs assistant (SNA) is essentially a care one in supporting pupils with assessed special educational needs. Resource teaching support is delivered by the school's teaching staff. Accordingly, my Department has no plans to provide resource teacher training for SNAs.

Three Colleges of Education, namely St. Angela's College in Sligo, Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, and Church of Ireland College, Rathmines, in conjunction with the Education Centre network, deliver officially recognised training courses for serving SNAs.

It is my Department's policy to keep all programmes under review including those offered to SNAs.