Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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191. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views regarding meeting the second level educational and psychological needs of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, in view of that person's special needs and the need for supervision throughout that person's education; if that person's requirements can be met locally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32677/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available.

All State-funded Post Primary schools have been allocated additional resources to provide for children with special educational needs enrolled in school.

For children for whom mainstream provision may not be appropriate, my Department has provided placement options in some 125 special schools and 1,000 special classes located around the country.

Post Primary schools have a permanent allocation of additional teaching supports to provide for children whose educational psychological assessment places them in the high incidence, or less complex, disability category.

Separately, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates additional resource teaching hours to schools for children who have been assessed within the low incidence, or more complex, category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05 and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) for children with additional care needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department.

It is a matter for schools to monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance. The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs.

In relation to SNA support, it is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management.

Parents who have concerns regarding the manner in which the resources or facilities which have been provided to support their child's education are being applied in school should, in the first instance, raise this matter directly with their school Principal or the Board of Management of the school.

Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.