James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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226. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the changes made to the criteria for special class provision for a school (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27322/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with Special Educational Needs including autism. It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish special classes in schools in communities where the need for such classes has been identified, and also to consider and manage applications from schools to establish special classes for students with autism including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE has not made changes to the criteria for special class provision in the school in question. The NCSE through the local SENO will continue to liaise with the HSE to determine if further special class provision is required. If additional provision is required, the NCSE will establish additional special classes to meet the need for such classes in the local area.