Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the procedures in place to assist a child moving from a special needs school to a mainstream school; if there are obligations in place to ensure that such a child is provided with a place in a mainstream school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9365/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.

My Department's policy is to promote the principle of inclusive education as envisaged in Section 2 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, Act 2004. The Department, either directly or through the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), provides for a range of supports in schools to enable them cater for students with special educational needs which includes additional teachers, Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and specialist equipment. The precise model of provision made will depend on the pupil's assessed disability. A key priority for my Department is to facilitate the maximum possible inclusion of students with special educational needs while always allowing for individuals for whom inclusion with mainstream peers may not be in their best interests or the interests of children with whom the child is to be educated.

Some students are capable of attending ordinary classes on an integrated basis with additional teaching and/or SNA support. In other cases, a more appropriate response for pupils may be to attend special dedicated classes within the school. These students have the option, where appropriate, of full/partial integration and interaction with other pupils. Other children may have such complex needs that they are best placed in a special school. Special classes and Special Schools are dedicated to a particular disability group and operate at reduced pupil teacher ratios ranging from 6:1 to 11:1.

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. Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools, teachers, psychologists, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in that area for children with special educational needs. 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.

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.