Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will appoint a senior official from his Department to liaise with the parents of a child (details supplied ) and the different sections of his Department and the school concerned with a view to securing a school place for the child for the forthcoming academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19864/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that 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. 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. SENOs are a valuable source of support to parents who are actively sourcing a placement for their children.

All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents can contact SENOs directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie. The Deputy will also be aware that 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. From the details supplied by the Deputy it appears that the NEWB and the NCSE are involved in the case and should liaise with officials in my Department as appropriate or if necessary to progress securing a placement for the child in question.