Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she expects to be in a position to meet in full the special needs teaching requirements in all schools throughout the country with particular reference to the submissions made to her by the various school authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11024/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 262: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her intentions to meet the special needs teaching requirements in all schools throughout north Kildare in the near future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11029/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 263: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which she proposes to meet in full remedial, resource, special needs teachers and classroom assistants in respect of the various schools throughout north Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11030/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 258, 262 and 263 together.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (EPSEN) to improve the delivery of education services to persons with special educational needs arising from disabilities with particular emphasis on children. Since it was established in 2005, the NCSE has been responsible for allocating resources for children with special educational needs. The NCSE has a key role in the delivery of services and operates through a network of special educational needs organisers (SENOs) who act as a focal point of contact for schools and parents.

Schools should continue to contact their local SENO for resources to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs. Primary schools are also supported by means of a general allocation which provides additional teaching support to enable schools to cater for pupils with high incidence special educational needs, such as dyslexia, and those with low attainments. Second level schools continue to be supported by the allocation of additional teaching hours, where appropriate, for each pupil enrolled who is assessed as having a special educational need. Special need assistant support is allocated, as appropriate, to all schools where there are confirmed assessed care needs in respect of students.

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. At primary level, there are now over 5,500 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. At second level, over 2,400 whole time equivalent additional teachers are in place to support pupils with special educational needs with 533 of these being learning support teachers. In addition, there are in excess of 8,200 special needs assistants in our primary and post primary schools.