Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a mild general disabilities class; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18396/11]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a request from a school (details supplied) in Dublin 17; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18654/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 260 together.

I wish to advise the Deputies that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes the allocation of resource teaching hours to schools as well as the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required and the discontinuation of such classes where the need no longer exists.

The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such supports. In respect of special classes, schools are required to observe Department policy in enrolling children to these classes. This includes having a professional assessment confirming that the child's attainment levels meet the Department's criteria and a recommendation for special class placement. Schools are eligible for resources for special classes when the pupils enrolled meet the Department's criteria and where there are enough eligible pupils to retain a class.

In respect of pupils with mild general learning disability enrolled in the class being suppressed due to reduced pupil numbers, these pupils will have access to additional teaching support through the teaching resources allocated to the school under the General Allocation Model (GAM). Schools in the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme with Band 1 status, including the school in question, receive beneficial GAM allocations in addition to enhanced pupil-teacher ratios.

There may be instances where children who are enrolled in a MGLD class fall within the low incidence disability category. These children may qualify for individual resource teaching support through the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and it is open to schools to liaise with the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) in this regard.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the strategy he is adopting to ensure that children on the autistic spectrum and other children with special needs currently being educated in mainstream primary schools can continue their education at post-primary level while retaining all essential supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18413/11]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way he proposes to approach the situation in which some post-primary schools refused to admit children with special needs or refused to develop ASD units to meet the specific demands of students in their catchment areas who progressed from such units at primary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18631/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 257 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. The expansion in the network of autism-specific special classes in schools is reflective of the recent commitment to educational provision for children with special educational needs and this commitment remains a key Government priority. 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.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for co-ordinating special needs education provision at local level and arranging for the delivery of special educational services. The SENOs 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. 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. SENOs are a valuable resource to parents and in particular at times of transition for children including for example to post primary level where an element of forward planning may be required. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact SENOs directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

The Deputy will be aware that enrolment issues are a matter in the first instance for the parents of children and the Boards of Management of schools where they wish to have their children enrolled. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools. The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which assists parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB will try to help parents to find an alternative school placement if their child has been unable to secure a placement to date.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the reduction in special needs assistant provision in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18418/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. This now includes a requirement for the NCSE to have regard to an overall cap on the number of SNA posts.

The NCSE has issued a circular to all schools advising of the allocation process for the 2011/2012 school year. A key feature of the amended scheme will be to provide for an annual allocation of Special Needs Assistant support to eligible schools.

The NCSE asked schools to submit all applications for SNA support to them by 18th March, 2011 and are currently in the process of informing schools of their annual SNA allocation for the coming school year.

It should be noted that SNA allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time.

The qualifying criteria for the allocation of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support is outlined in my Department's Circular 07/02. The recruitment and deployment of SNAs within schools are matters for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.