Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 431: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if alternative options for budget cuts were discussed before cutting special needs education in view of the fact that the estimated saving from this budget measure is €7 million. [12835/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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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. 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. 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.