Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with assessed and or diagnosed special needs at second level that are being taught by subject teachers with no specialist training in special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39211/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. My Department allocates significant resources to ensure that pupils with special educational needs can participate fully in education. Supports are provided for schools in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to individualised education programmes, fully-qualified professional teachers, Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support where required, the appropriate school curriculum with the option, where possible and appropriate, of full or partial integration and interaction with other pupils.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education has advised that for the 2014/15 school year, 12,891 pupils to date have qualified for low incidence resource teaching assistance at post primary school level in accordance with criteria set out in my Departments Circular 02/05. Additionally, many pupils with learning support needs or mild general learning difficulties receive additional teaching support in post primary schools from the schools general allocation of resource teaching support.

In relation to initial teacher education, while special education has long been a feature of initial teacher education (ITE) programmes, the Teaching Council, the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the registration of teachers, requires the reconceptualised and extended programmes, which commenced in 2012, to address a number of specific elements including differentiation, inclusive education including special education and literacy and numeracy.

The learning outcomes of these programmes indicate that the graduate teacher should be able to conduct a systematic, holistic assessment of learner needs, to apply knowledge of the individual potential of students, their disposition towards learning and their backgrounds, identities and learning styles to their teaching, to set clear, challenging and achievable expectations for pupils, to evaluate learner progress, to act as an advocate for students, referring students for educational support as required and participating in the provision of that support, amongst other relevant outcomes. Student teachers may also have access to additional elective courses with content focussing on special education.

Teachers have access, through the Special Education Support Service, to continuing professional development.

My Department also funds a number of Post-Graduate Programmes for teachers involved in Learning Support and Special Education. These programmes are specifically designed to assist all schools and educational services in meeting the needs of students requiring learning support and the teaching of students with special educational needs. Since 2007, some 2,000 teachers have completed these programmes.

I am satisfied that current arrangements are adequate to ensure that teachers receive the necessary initial education and have access to quality continuing professional development programmes during their career so that they are in a position to meet the needs of students.