Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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508. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will re-examine the current staffing resources at a school (details supplied) in County Kerry, and provide the necessary compliment of staff, prior to the new school term in September 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27384/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs attending Special schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's policy in allocating this support.

Circular 0042/2011 provides information to schools regarding the staffing arrangements which apply in Special schools. The Circular sets out that special schools are staffed based on their pupil profiles and the disability category of the pupils enrolled, as opposed to being based principally on school designation. Staffing levels therefore reflect the complexity of need that exist within schools rather than being determined solely by a school's designation, as many Special schools enrol students from disability categories other than from those provided for by their school designations.

In determining the staffing allocation for schools, the NCSE takes into account up-to-date enrolment and pupil profile information. School staffing schedules are reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE.As such, the profile of Special school pupil populations are aligned with appropriate staffing allocations. Accordingly, the staffing allocation for the school referred to in the Deputy's question reflects the profile of pupils currently enrolled in the school, in accordance with each pupil's disability categorisation.

The NCSE has published the staffing allocations for Special schools for 2015/16, including the school referred to by the Deputy, on its website www.ncse.ie.