Written answers

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs

9:00 pm

Photo of Luke FlanaganLuke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he can facilitate the creation of proper schooling for children with special needs in the necessary areas in view of the fact that it costs €1,800 a week in taxi fares to transport a child with autism to proper teachers and facilities which seems like an extreme waste of scarce resources in hard economic times and also causes unnecessary stress on students with special needs; if he will investigate this waste and consider providing the appropriate teachers in schools closer to the students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34730/11]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes applications for the establishment of special classes. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support. In the context of the case referred to by the Deputy the NCSE has had further discussions with a post primary school with a view to establishing a special class and the SENO in the area will continue to progress the issue.

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has carried out an assessment of the allocation and demand for special needs assistant support in view of the fact that schools are nearly three months into the new term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34852/11]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware 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. This number is 10,575 whole time equivalent (WTE) posts.

The NCSE advised all mainstream schools of their SNA allocations for the 2011/12 school year and published statistical information in relation to the allocation of SNA posts and resource teaching hours to Primary, Special and Post Primary Schools. The information is provided on a county by county and school by school basis on its website at www.ncse.ie. The NCSE is currently reviewing SNA allocations for special schools and also considering new applications for SNA support received from mainstream schools since September. The NCSE retained 475 SNA posts in order to allocate them over the current school year in cases such as emergency, appeals, acquired injuries or new school entrants with care needs. The allocation of the 475 SNA posts is underway.

It is expected that the bulk of the posts will be distributed to schools by the end of November while a number of posts will be retained for allocation throughout the remainder of the school year. It is considered that with equitable and careful management and distribution of the significant level of SNA resources being provided, that there will be sufficient posts to provide access to SNA support for all children who require such care support to attend school, in accordance with my Department's criteria.

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