Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 680: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will facilitate a school (details supplied) that wishes to use its school lunches budget to retain its special needs assistant, and its non-DEIS scheme shared rural co-ordinator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22653/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The provision of school meals which is primarily funded by the School Meals Programme, administered by my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, is among the many measures available to schools participating in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion and other schools included in older disadvantaged schemes. Educational research has shown that good nutrition improves the concentration levels of students and that students from low-income families are less likely to have access to an adequate diet. The provision of healthy school meals is therefore a priority for the Government in tackling educational disadvantage.

The school to which the Deputy refers was among a number of schools that was judged by an independent identification process in 2005 not to have a sufficient level of disadvantage among their pupils to warrant their inclusion in DEIS. This school together with some 120 other schools retained resources, including the rural coordinator post under pre-existing schemes and programmes for addressing educational disadvantage. When DEIS was introduced, a commitment was given as a concessionary measure to these schools that they would retain a level of support for the duration of the DEIS Initiative, i.e.2010.

However, in light of the recent economic downturn, the Government has had to make a number of difficult and challenging decisions in Budget 2009. This means that it is now necessary to withdraw additional resources from all NON DEIS schools with effect from 31 August 2009. These resources will be retained for the remainder of this school year after which they will then be withdrawn.

As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (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. Applications for SNAs may be considered by the NCSE where a pupil has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a danger to themselves or to other pupils. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

For some pupils, as they mature, their care needs may diminish over time. Pupils may move to a different school or on to a post-primary school. In such circumstances, the NCSE will review and adjust the overall level of SNA support in the school concerned. This may mean that some pupils who had previously been supported by a full time SNA may have their needs met through the shared support of an SNA or perhaps they may have no need for SNA support.

All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

Under no circumstances should a school use funding provided under the School Meals Programme for other purposes. Funding under the Department of Social and Family Affairs School Meals (Local Projects) Scheme is for food items only. At the end of every school year, appropriate accounting records showing vouched income and expenditure for each school year must be submitted to the School Meals Section of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Funding is provided to viable projects only.

Any school that no longer has a requirement for funding to provide school meals, should relinquish the funding to the Department of Social and Family Affairs for redispursement to other eligible schools in need of such supports.