Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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202. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of increasing the number of resource teachers from 6,454 to 7,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27871/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that there are now more Resource Teachers available for allocation than ever before.

As part of Budget 2015, I announced provision for an additional 480 Resource Teaching posts, to take into account increased demand and demographic growth and to ensure that children can continue to have access to additional supports in school.

The total number of posts available for allocation has increased by 27% since 2012, from 5265 posts in 2012, to 6705 posts available for 2015/16. This is the highest level of resource teaching provision that we have ever had.

Details of the resource teaching allocations which will be made to each school for September 2015 have been published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on its website www.ncse.ie. The NCSE will also have a second round allocation process to respond to late enrolments, or from diagnosed disabilities emerging after the closing date for the first allocation round, to the start of the new school year.

Based on current average teacher salary costs, the full year cost of employing an additional 546 resource teachers in schools would equate to approximately €32.76 million.

Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that the NCSE has recommended the development of a new model for delivering teaching resources to schools to support students with special needs. Through consultations, there has been broad welcome for the proposed new model from Parents, disability groups, schools and stakeholders. However, there has not been sufficient time to address all of the concerns which have been raised regarding the proposed model in advance of the 2015 school year.

A pilot of the new model, as recommended by the NCSE, will take place in schools in the coming school year.