Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a recent analysis (details supplied) which provides evidence that there are severe socio-economic inequalities in access to special needs supports across schools and pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33957/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The NCSE, in Policy advice published in 2013, identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable because access to professionals to make a diagnosis is not always readily available to those who can not afford to access it privately.The NCSE recommended the development of a new allocation model, based on the profiled needs of each school, rather than on the diagnosed disability of individual children and work on this model is almost complete.

However, there was not sufficient time to introduce the new model in advance of the 2015/16 school year. I have instead established a pilot of the new model, which is currently underway.

The pilot will test the model in a number of schools and allow for the practical effect of the application of the new model to be gauged prior to full implementation.

The new model, when implemented, will eliminate any potential inequity in the current system.