Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a child (details supplied) in County Donegal has been refused resource hours. [32178/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that in primary schools teaching supports for pupils with special education needs are provided though two channels. Under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, schools are resourced to cater for pupils whose educational psychological assessment places them in the mild general learning disability/high incidence disability category. Seperately the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates additional resource teaching hours to schools for children who have been assessed within the low incidence category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05.

All mainstream Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources under the GAM to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs.

All schools had been advised to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching support for the 2012/13 school year by 16th March, 2012 and schools are currently being notified by SENOs of their resource teaching allocation for 2012/13, based on the number of valid applications received.

It is a matter for schools to monitor and utilise their allocation of resource teaching support, including supports allocated under the GAM, to best support the needs of qualifying pupils, in accordance with my Departments guidance. 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.