Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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263. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will approve resource hours for a child (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30276/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware 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, including Resource Teaching support for children with more complex special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such supports.

All schools were advised to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2013/14 school year by 15th March 2013.

The NCSE has now published details of all of their allocations for resource teaching support for the 2013/2014 school year. These details are now available on the NCSE website, www.ncse.ie, and detail the allocations made for each school on a per county basis.

The NCSE has retained a number of Resource Teacher posts to meet late or emergency applications received up to the begining of the school year. Applications received after the initial closing date for allocations, or where additional material to support an application was received after this date, will be considered at this point. In the interim, schools may provide additional teaching support for those pupils who need it from the existing resource teaching or general allocation model allocations.

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.