Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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229. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 306 of 29 January 2013 the way his Department has justified a situation in which €207,854.02 is approved in funding for a special educational unit at a school built as part of the same bundle of PPP schools while another school in that same bundle received approval for only €13,500.00 for its special educational unit; if he will explain the reason the school receiving the lesser amount was directed by his Department to provide a special educational unit as part of its construction; the way the special education provision differs between each school where the second school is expected to equip its unit with one fifteenth of the money approved by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25115/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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It is my Department's general practice to include a special needs unit (SNU) in the accommodation brief for new school buildings, unless local circumstances indicate that it will not be required.The level of funding referred to by the Deputy is in accordance with the Department's current guidelines for funding SNUs. These guidelines changed in 2011 and any school which applied for funding before that date was grant-aided on a different basis. The current level of funding of €6,500 for one special class plus €7,000 to purchase equipment for the school's Multi Sensory Room is provided to all primary and post-primary schools irrespective of the delivery method used. In addition, grant aid is available to all schools to fund the purchase of special items of furniture for special needs pupils. The scheme applies to all children who are diagnosed as having special needs. Schools must apply directly to the Department and their applications must be supported by a report from a professional who assessed the pupil. Only furniture approved by the Department will be funded.