Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of resource teachers that have been newly appointed in each of the past five years in County Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6468/07]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 525: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of resource teachers that have been newly appointed in each of the past five years in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6469/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 and 525 together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the information sought in respect of the number of newly appointed resource teachers in each of the past five years in primary schools in Counties Westmeath and Longford is not readily available in my Department.

As the Deputy is aware, there has been enormous progress made over the past number of years in relation to increasing the number of teachers in our schools who are specifically dedicated to providing education for children with special educational needs.

My Department implemented a new scheme for allocating resource teachers to all mainstream primary schools in September 2005. The general allocation scheme is designed to ensure that each school has learning support/resource teaching available to meet the needs of children with high incidence special needs and those with learning support needs.

Pupils assessed as having low incidence disabilities, such as autism, may be eligible for an individual allocation of resource teaching hours following submission of an application by the school to the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO).

At primary level, there are now more than 5,500 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares to approximately 1,500 in 1998.

At second level, approximately 1,868 whole time equivalent additional teachers are in place to support pupils with special educational needs. This compares to the approximately 200 teachers that were in place in 1998 for such pupils. In addition, there are 533 whole time equivalent learning support teachers in our second level schools.

The Deputy will also be aware that 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 the Department of Education and Science but has the resources and the remit to play the leading role in the delivery of education services to children with disabilities/special needs.