Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will reverse his decision to suppress classes for children with mild learning disabilities in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 2 in view of the fact that this school is a DEIS one band school which is exempted from cutbacks in education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12245/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to reassure the Deputy that there will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to a special needs teacher as a result of the decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability (MGLD).

Teacher allocations to schools typically increase or decrease depending on pupil enrolment. In the case of classes for MGLD the normal pupil teacher ratio that applies is 11:1. My Department however permits schools to retain a teaching post where it has a minimum of 9 pupils in the class. In the case of the school referred to by the Deputy, the school confirmed that they have 8 pupils in the MGLD class, therefore the school no longer qualifies to retain the class.

These special classes which are to close pre-date the 2005 General Allocation Model of allocating additional teacher support to schools to enable them to meet the needs of pupils with MGLD as well as a number of other high incidence disabilities.

All primary schools were allocated additional teaching resources under the General Allocation Model to enable them support pupils with high incidence special educational needs including MGLD. In the case of the school referred to by the Deputy, the school has shared access to a learning support/resource teacher. When the General Allocation Model was introduced, schools with additional teachers in classes for MGLD were allowed to retain the teachers for these classes.

All of the other primary schools in the country who do not have classes for children with MGLD cater for these pupils from within the General Allocation Model. Pupils with a MGLD have, and will continue to have access to additional teaching resources to support their education.

The Deputy will be aware that DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and an integrated School Support Programme (SSP). DEIS brings together and builds upon a number of existing interventions in schools with concentrated levels of disadvantage.

In line with my focus on retaining resources in the most disadvantaged areas, it is important to note that following Budget 2009 DEIS supports in DEIS schools are not being affected.

The school referred to by the Deputy was identified for inclusion in Urban Band 1 of DEIS and for the duration of the programme it will benefit from the following measures:

(a) Allocation of an Administrative Principal;

(b) The services of a shared Home School Community Liaison Co-ordinator;

(c) Access to a range of supports under the School Completion Programme;

(d) Additional capitation based on level of disadvantage and grant aid for school books.

Indeed without counting the teacher to be removed in September there is still a total of 9 teaching staff, two on a shared basis, assigned to this school. There are also two Special Needs Assistants (wte). The enrolment as at September 2008 was 84 pupils.

The school has written to my Department making a case for the retention of the teacher and this is currently under consideration.

I would like to take the opportunity to emphasise that priority will continue to be given to making provision for pupils with special educational needs within available resources.