Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

664. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants employed and the number of hours of special needs teaching provided in schools in County Kildare in each of the years 2008, 2010 and in each of the years 2013 to 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6361/16]

Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

704. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants employed and the number of hours of special needs teaching provided in schools in County Kildare in each of the years 2008 to 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6828/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 664 and 704 together.

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 needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating special educational needs supports including Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), resource teaching support to mainstream schools, staffing in special schools and the establishment of special classes in mainstream schools, to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

In July 2015, 610 additional SNA posts were provided to the end of 2015, while Budget 2016 provided an additional 100 SNA posts to meet additional demand to June 2016, bringing the total SNA number available for allocation to 12,040. This is a higher level of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support than ever before, which will ensure that children with special educational needs can continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner appropriate to their needs.

All State-funded primary and 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. There are in excess of 5,000 Learning Support Teacher posts at present.

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. Budget 2016 made additional provision, increasing the number from 6705 at the end of 2015 to 6852 at the end of June 2016 and to 7452 Posts to the end of 2016.

In addition, provision has been made for placement options in some 125 special schools with over 1,100 teachers and over 1,000 special classes are located in mainstream schools around the country.

The NCSE has published details of resource teaching, SNA allocation and special classes for all schools, including schools in County Kildare, from 2012 to 2015 inclusive, on its website at www.ncse.ie.

I will arrange for the NCSE to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to applications for support sanctioned by the NCSE prior to 2012.