Written answers

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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84. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he foresees the full implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004; his plans to ensure the effective assessment and planning for students with special educational needs. [25457/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that a significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. In light of the difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of EPSEN. The National Council for Special Education had suggested that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235 million per annum, across the education and health sectors, would be required to fully implement the EPSEN Act. My Department's view is that the level of investment required would now be greater than that envisaged in the NCSE report. Given the costs involved and current fiscal constraints, addressing this issue will be very challenging. I will consider how we can develop a plan to implement the objectives of the EPSEN Act to deliver improved educational outcomes for students with special needs. Last year, my Department asked the NCSE to provide policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational needs. This advice will guide the preparation of a plan on how aspects of EPSEN can be implemented, including the prioritising of access to children with special needs to an individual education plan.

The NCSE report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools has now been published. Whereas the report recommends that the EPSEN Act be fully implemented as soon as possible, the report also states that the NCSE recognises that the current economic climate makes it unlikely that the Government will be able to implement this recommendation in the short to medium term. While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has made a number of recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act. The NCSE report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools is available on the NCSE website, www.ncse.ie. The recommendations in the Report will require indepth and detailed examination. I have asked my Department to carefully review the recommendations and report back to me on them. I am conscious that in making any changes to our supports for children with Special Educational Needs, we need to protect the gains we have made. Therefore, I would like to give an assurance that consultation will be a key aspect in the implementation of any of the report's recommendations.

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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85. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the action he plans to take in relation to the recommendations of the recently published report by the National Council for Special Education entitled Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools; if he will provide a timeframe for this action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25510/13]

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will implement one of the key recommendations contained in the National Council for Special Education report, Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools, that the link between allocation based on category of disability should be changed to one of allocation based on need. [25395/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 91 together.

Last year, I requested the NCSE to review and make recommendations on the supports that we provide to children with special educational needs and how they are allocated, to ensure we are delivering the best possible educational experience and outcomes for our children. The NCSE has published its policy advice on Support Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools, which is available on its website, www.ncse.ie. The NCSE report makes it clear that parents and schools are very happy with many aspects of the current system. However, the NCSE also considers that there are concerns in relation to some aspects of our current system, under the headings of Enrolment, Assessments and Supports for children with Special Educational Needs and their allocation. The report makes 28 detailed recommendations which the NCSE feels would help to address these issues.

The recommendations in the report are interesting and significant. They deserve indepth and detailed examination and exploration. That is why I have asked my Department to carefully review the recommendations and report back to me on them. The report recommends that under the new resource allocation model proposed by the NCSE in its report, children should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need, rather than by disability category. I have requested the NCSE to immediately proceed to establish a Working Group in order to develop a proposal for consideration for a new Tailored Allocation Model, which is set out as one of the principal recommendations of the report. This proposal will then be considered by my Department. I am conscious that in making any changes to our supports for children with Special Educational Needs, we need to protect the gains we have made. Therefore, I would like to give an assurance that consultation will be a key aspect in the implementation of any of these recommendations.

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