Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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690. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of the new inclusion support service within the National Council for Special Education; the total number of staff who will be allocated to this service; the date on which she expects this new service to be up and running. [14042/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the establishment, within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), of a new Inclusion Support Service to assist schools in supporting children with special educational needs.

The service will include the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for children who are deaf/hard of hearing and for children who are blind/visually impaired (VTSVHI).

This change will mean that schools will receive a better and more integrated service from this new Inclusion Support Service. The Inclusion Support Service will build on the existing good work and support which NBSS, SESS and VTSVHI provide to children and their families as well as to teachers and schools.

It is intended that the Inclusion Support Service will be operational from the coming school year. It is also intended, however, that the existing services will continue as normal as the new arrangements are put in place, with as little disruption as possible to service users, as progress is made to transfer these services to the NCSE.

Considerations with regard to the full staffing implications which may arise from the amalgamation of these bodies and the incorporation of the new Inclusion Support Service within the existing NCSE operational structures, are ongoing, and will be established during the course of the integration of the services.