Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total funding allocated for special needs education in each year since 1997 including this year. [47638/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that this Government remains committed to the protection of frontline services for pupils with special educational needs. The programme for Government sets out that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. The continued commitment of this Government to special education provision, at a time when savings are being required across a range of expenditure areas, has ensured that children with special educational needs can continue to have access to educational facilities in line with their requirements.

Approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department – some €1.3 billion – was spent in support of children with special educational needs in 2011. Provision for the current year is in line with expenditure for last year showing that, despite the current economic difficulties, the overall level of funding for special education has not been cut. The equivalent spends for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 are €468m, €605m, €706m, €838m, €900m, €1bn and €1.2bn respectively.

The Deputy will be aware that expenditure in relation to supports provided for children with special educational needs occurs across a number of separate divisional areas such as, for example, salary costs for additional teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) supports, school building adaptations, assistive technology, transport arrangements and enhanced capitation payable. From 2004 onwards, the particular spend on special education within the various categories has been differentiated and aggregated. However, details of the disaggregated expenditure made for children with special educational within various categories of expenditure provision was not separately recorded prior to 2004 and is therefore not readily available.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the number of special classes in mainstream schools in each year since 1997. [47639/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Firstly, I wish to advise the Deputy 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.

Information going back to 1997, as requested by the Deputy, is not readily available. However, I can advise the Deputy that the number of special classes rose from approximately 350 classes in 1998 to over 500 in 2010. The number of special classes in mainstream schools from 2010 to present is 516 in the 2010/11 school year, 549 in the 2011/12 school year and 640 in the 2012/13 school year.