Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if it is intended to offer improvement in speech and language or other special needs teaching facilities in 2009 having particular regard to the future large scale impact reductions in this area are likely to have on children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12362/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 227: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that children with special needs are expected to be more seriously disadvantaged in the course of the Budget 2009 cuts; if he put in place or will put in place particular measures to alleviate such problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12364/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 227 together.

The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network.

The Deputy will also be aware that there has been unprecedented investment in providing supports for pupils with special needs in recent years. There are now about 19,000 adults in our schools working solely with pupils with special needs. This includes over 10,000 SNAs — compared with just 300 in 1997. There are over 8,000 resource and learning support teachers in our schools compared with just 2,000 in 1998. Over 1,000 other teachers support pupils in our special schools.

As well as this significant increase in the numbers of additional teachers and SNAs directly providing appropriate education and care supports for children with special educational needs, much investment has taken place in the provision of transport, specialist school accommodation, home tuition, assistive technology and equipment.

Additional teaching and SNA supports are allocated as necessary by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in line with my Department's policy to support children with special educational needs.

The Deputy will be aware that additional funding has been allocated to my Department in 2009 to provide for an expansion of the National Educational Psychological service so that all schools in the country will be covered by the service. The additional funding available to NEPS, which represents a 33% increase over the 2008 allocation, will facilitate the recruitment of up to 50 further psychologists. It is envisaged that this will bring the number of NEPS psychologists by the end of 2009 above the proposed 200 incorporated in the Programme for Government.

This investment will significantly enhance the capacity of our educational psychologists to directly support schools in the development and delivery of appropriate interventions for children with special educational needs.

Additional funding is also being provided to the National Council for Special Education in 2009 to increase the Council's capacity in the move towards the full implementation of EPSEN. The additional funding will enable the Council to continue to improve, plan and co-ordinate the delivery of services for children with special needs.

I have also provided for further investment in teacher training in this area. This will ensure that teachers are provided with opportunities to access continuing professional development so that the learning and teaching needs of all pupils with Special Educational Needs continue to be met.

I want to take this opportunity to emphasise that priority will continue to be given to provision for children with special educational needs. I intend to build on the progress that has been achieved in recent years which has seen a huge increase in resources for special needs. The NCSE will continue to support schools, parents, children and teachers. Along with all other areas of expenditure, provision is dependent on the resources available to the Government.