Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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35. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she expects to be in a position to meet the full requirement in respect of special needs teachers and special needs assistants in all schools for the remainder of the year, with particular reference to the need to address those areas most seriously affected by demographic trends; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21874/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) will increase its allocation of Resource Teacher Posts to schools by over 9%, by allocating 6,454 resource teacher posts to schools for the start of the coming school year, which is an increase of 554 posts since September 2014, while over 120 new special classes will open for 2015/16 school year.

In addition, 11,330 SNA posts, an increase of 365 posts, or over 3%, are available to the NCSE to allocate to the end of 2015, which is also a greater level than has ever previously been available.

This year we have again increased the number of Resource Teachers and SNAs which will be allocated to schools, which is in excess of demographic increases in 2015 of approximately 1.8% at primary level and 1.2% at post primary level.

I welcome the fact that, even in the constrained economic circumstances we have faced in recent years, we have been able to continue to meet the needs of children with special educational needs attending our schools.