Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 21: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which the relevant section of her Department provides assistance, direction and advice to the parents of children with behavioural problems or special need who for whatever reason may have lost their place at primary or second level schools; if the relevant section initiates contact with the school authorities or the parents with a view to offering assistance in such situations; the number of such occurrences in the past 12 months; the degree to which a satisfactory or alternative provision was made; the extent to which the education of the children involved was provided for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23747/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) with statutory responsibility to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The remit of the Board was expanded in 2009 to include responsibility for the Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers (VTST), the Home School Community Liaison Service (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP) as well as the National Educational Welfare Service (EWS) under one common management team. The new integrated approach will provide for better targeting of children who are not benefiting from education and it will ensure that these children are properly supported to maximise their educational potential. It also provides new opportunities for enhanced support for parents and families.

The Board's network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) is the means by which the Board delivers on its statutory remit to ensure that each child attends and benefits from education. EWOs work with approximately 8,000 children each year, who are reported as having serious school attendance or school placement difficulties or who have been expelled from schools. They work closely with the family, the school and other support services to address the particular issues for each child. The needs of children can vary considerably from those who are not attending school to those for whom there is no school place, while in other cases, placement in an alternative education programme like Youthreach may be more appropriate.

The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The NEWB has a key role in supporting parents where there are problems with school placement or attendance difficulties of their children in school. In addition the NEWB has, in the past, issued information leaflets to parents and run public awareness campaigns to raise the profile of school attendance. It also operates an Education Helpline to provide information on attendance and related matters.

Where difficulties with school placement include issues of special educational need staff of the Board and the National Council for Special Education have developed operational protocols to ensure that these difficulties are resolved.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. In particular, its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) co-ordinates special needs education provision at local level and arranges for the delivery of special educational services. They act as single points of contact for parents of students with special educational needs. Another specific function of the SENO is to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. My Department encourages parents and school authorities to engage locally regarding pupils' education. 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.

Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or, in the case of a Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) school, to the VEC in the first instance; where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, permanently excludes a student, or suspends a student for a period greater than 20 days.

In relation to appeals lodged with the Secretary General of my Department, only where an appeal under Section 29 is upheld can the Secretary General of my Department direct a school to re-instate a pupil. In 2009, 72 Section 29 Appeals, lodged with the Secretary General were completed, broken down between primary and post primary schools as follows: - Permanent Exclusion 64 (Post Primary 56) (Primary 8) - Suspensions 8 (Post Primary 7) (Primary 1)

The NEWB's 'Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools' has been issued to all schools and are part of the Board's overall strategy to support school attendance and participation. They have been issued in compliance with section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, which legally obliges each school to have a Code that is available to students and parents.

The school Code of Behaviour is the set of programmes, practices and procedures that together form the school's plan for helping students in the school to behave well and learn well. The Code of Behaviour helps the school community to promote the policies, procedures and practices that encourage good behaviour and prevent unacceptable behaviour. The NEWB Guidelines recognise the importance of the leadership of Boards of Management and Principals and they place a welcome emphasis on the value of engaging everyone in the school community, including teachers, parents and pupils in the task of shaping the school environment and making it a positive place for teaching and learning.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department operates a Home Tuition Scheme which allocates funding to parents to provide tuition at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme funds tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement where a school-based placement is not available. Information on the scheme including criteria for eligibility for tuition is detailed annually by circular to schools and parents.The home tuition scheme facilitates ongoing minimum education until a suitable long term solution is put in place by the Board.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 22: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [23647/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to confirm for the Deputy that the school's Learning Support/Resource teacher is currently providing 2.5 hours resource teaching support per week to the pupil in question. In addition, the pupil is also supported in the classroom through the special needs assistant scheme.

All primary schools were allocated Learning Support/Resource Teaching support through the General Allocation Model. These teaching resources were provided in order to enable schools provide additional teaching support to pupils who have learning support needs or who have been assessed as having a high incidence disability. I understand that the pupil's special educational needs fall to be supported from the General Allocation Model.

Prior to the introduction of the General Allocation Model, schools had to apply for additional teaching support for each pupil with an assessed disability. However, the introduction of the General Allocation Model means that schools no longer have to make applications for additional teaching support for pupils with a high incidence disability as the Learning Support/Resource teachers are already available in the school.