Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 40: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills her plans to meet the accommodation and special needs teaching requirements of children with autism, aspergers, attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or other special needs at primary and second level schools here; the extent to which she expects or intends to provide the necessary special needs assistants and teachers to meet such requirements in the present and unfolding economic situation; if she will ensure that these needs are kept to the fore in the planning and budgetary sectors of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47379/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 47: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills her plans to meet the accommodation and special needs teaching requirements of children with autism, attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and or other special needs at primary and second level schools in County Kildare; the extent to which she expects or intends to provide the special needs assistants and teachers to meet such requirements in the present and unfolding economic situation; if she will ensure that these needs are kept to the fore in the planning and budgetary sectors of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47109/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 40 together.

The Deputy will be aware of my Department's commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with special needs, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs.

Children with special educational needs, including the specific conditions mentioned by the Deputy, have a range of placement options available to them. Many pupils with special needs, including those mentioned by the Deputy, attend mainstream schools alongside their peers. Depending on the extent of their special educational need, these pupils may receive support from the school's Learning Support teacher and/or additional tuition hours provided by a Resource teacher. In addition, schools with pupils enrolled who have significant care needs, can apply for additional support through the special needs assistant scheme.

Other pupils with special educational needs attend a special class attached to a mainstream school while some pupils attend a special school. These pupils are supported through lower pupil teacher ratios and, where necessary, special needs assistants. The Deputy will be aware that the expansion in the network of autism-specific special classes in schools has been a key priority in recent years.

My Department continues to fund special school transport arrangements for pupils with special educational needs. Funding is also provided to schools to purchase assistive technology and/or specialist equipment. In addition, funding can be provided for school buildings to be adapted where necessary.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating supports to schools to support children with special educational needs. Schools, which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs that are eligible for such support, apply to the NCSE for the allocation of the necessary resources.

The Deputy will be aware that there has been unprecedented investment in providing supports for pupils with special needs in recent years, with over €1 billion being spent this year in supporting special educational provision this year.

There are now in excess of 20,000 adults in our schools working solely with pupils with special needs. This includes over 10,000 special needs assistants; over 9,000 resource and learning support teachers employed in mainstream schools; over 500 teachers in special classes and over 1,100 special school teachers.

The education of children with special educational needs remains a key Government priority and the Government will continue to provide for learning support and resource teacher posts and special needs assistant posts in schools.