Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way the special educational needs of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare can be met in view of the fact that the family is now homeless with no fixed abode; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15913/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, in order to ensure that as many children as possible can be educated with their peers within their own community, regardless of their domiciliary status.

My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education.

Children with special educational needs may be enrolled in a mainstream school and attend all mainstream classes and receive additional teaching support through the learning support and/or resource teacher. If they have assessed care needs they may be supported by a special needs assistant.

In respect of children who cannot be accommodated in mainstream education, they may be enrolled in special classes or special schools where more intensive and supportive interventions are provided.

The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.

The Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. They will try to help parents to find a school placement if their child has been unable to secure a school placement to date. The Educational Welfare Services, Child and Family Agency, can be contacted at 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01-8738700.

In addition, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) can assist parents to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. Parents may contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs and to seek assistance in identifying placement options, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

The NCSE also recently published a Guide for Parents and Guardians of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs on Choosing a School. This guide is also available at www.ncse.ie.

Where a parent seeks to enrol their child in a school and that school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Only where an appeal under Section 29 is upheld, may the Secretary General of my Department direct a school to enrol a pupil.

Finally, it is not clear from the information provided by the Deputy if he has a concern about the welfare of the pupil in question. As the Deputy may be aware, if he has a concern about the welfare or safety of the child then he should report the matter as a child protection concern to the appropriate authorities.