David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the funding and expenditure allocated to all four elements of the National Disability Strategy as per its announcement on 21 September 2004; the amount allocated and expended under each element each year to date; the amount expected to be allocated in 2009 and 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19424/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Disability Strategy supports and reinforces equal participation in society of people with disabilities. Its elements include - the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004, the Disability Act, 2005 and its associated Sectoral Plans published in 2006 by six Government Departments, the Citizens Information Act, 2007 and a commitment to a multi-annual investment programme for disability support services.

The Deputy will be aware that although my Department does not have a Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act, appropriate education services are supported as a central element in the Government commitment to supporting those with special educational needs/disability.

This support is provided across a wide spectrum of initiatives within the education sector. At school level, in addition to the teachers provided in the classroom, significant additional supports are also provided to enable schools to cater for the needs of students with special educational needs. Such supports include additional resource teaching support, special needs assistant support, special transport arrangements, enhanced capitation and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment.

When the overall annual spend in 2009 to support persons with special educational needs is considered, my Department will spend an estimated €1bn in total by the end of this year. The equivalent spends for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 and 2008 are €468m, €605m, €706m and €838m and over €900m respectively. With these levels of investment, it is clear that significant progress has been made in educational provision for people with special needs in recent years. This progress has been achieved through the additional investments made by successive Ministers for Education. Advances in the level of dedicated provision to support children with special educational needs include: • Schools are now allocated extra resource teachers and special needs assistants to enable them meet the special educational needs of students. In the region of 19,000 staff in our schools work solely with children with special needs. • Special Needs Assistant posts have increased from under 300 in 1997 to over 10,000 in 2009. • Primary schools are staffed up-front with additional teachers to cater for the most prevalent special educational needs – removing the need for assessments and delays in recruitment. • The level of training available to teachers has improved significantly. The establishment of the Special Education Support Service to provide expert support, professional development and training opportunities in special education for school staff has been very significant. In 2008, the service was in contact with over 23,000 teachers. The range of post-graduate professional training programmes available to professionals in the special needs area has also significantly expanded. • The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) aims to support the personal, social and educational development of all children through the application of psychological theory and practice in education, having particular regard for children with special educational needs. • The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established to co-ordinate the delivery of services for children with special needs. The NCSE is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. • Assistive technology, specialist equipment, building adaptations and special school transport arrangements continue to be provided as necessary. As announced on Budget day, in the current financial circumstances it is not possible to proceed with full implementation of the EPSEN Act in 2010 as originally envisaged. Government will keep the matter under review and is committed to the full implementation of EPSEN at the earliest possible date.

I am particularly pleased that, in order to strengthen and enhance services, and continue the preparation for the full implementation of the Act at a later date, the Government provided €20m in 2009 - €10m for education services and €10m for health services.

In my Department this additional funding will provide for an expansion of the NEPS service so that all schools in the country will be covered by the service as well as enhancing the capacity of the NCSE to co-ordinate the provision of services to children with special educational needs. In addition teachers and special needs assistants will continue to be deployed to schools to meet children's needs and there will be further investment in teacher training in this area.