Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider not proceeding with proposed changes to the way in which children with special educational needs in schools are assessed, following the conclusion of the pilot scheme; if there is opposition to the proposed changes; the consultation process that took place prior to the commencement of the pilot scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7981/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory role under the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act to provide me with policy advice in relation to matters concerning the education of persons with special educational needs.

The NCSE published policy advice in 2013 which identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable and recommended the development of a new allocation model.

In developing its policy advice the NCSE consulted widely with education partners, representatives from the school sector, parents, and disability representative bodies.

Although there is widespread support for the implementation of the new model over the course of the consultations, there was not time to address all of the issues of concern raised in relation to the proposed new model in time to allow for it to be implemented this year.

I therefore established a pilot of the new model, as had been suggested during consultations. This pilot is currently underway in 47 schools, and which will run for the duration of the current school year.

This pilot has been developed in order to test the model in a number of schools and to allow for the practical effect of the application of the new model in pilot schools to be gauged.

It will also allow us to take into account the learning experiences of schools, principals, pupils and the views of parents over the course of the pilot, prior to the full implementation of the proposed new allocation model.