Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

195. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of introducing individual education plans for students with special educational needs on a statutory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14558/16]

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

208. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students with special educational needs who are covered by an individual educational plan as opposed to a personal pupil plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14571/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 208 together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that Section 2 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004, providing for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs and the sections of the Act which placed the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on a statutory footing, were commenced in 2005.

The remaining sections of the EPSEN Act, including those which would introduce a statutory provision for Individual Education Plans for children with special educational needs have yet to be commenced. Legal advice indicates that the EPSEN Act, as it is currently constituted, may not be implemented on a phased, or age cohort, basis.

The NCSE has published a Plan for the Implementation of the EPSEN Act. This report, which was published in 2006, made recommendations which suggested that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235 million per annum, across the education and health sectors, would be required to fully implement the EPSEN Act. The estimate of costs did not identify those costs which related only to the introduction of Individual Education Plans.

My Department's opinion is that the level of investment required could be significantly greater than that envisaged in the NCSE report. However, a total estimate of this amount has not been quantified.

Revised estimates of the amount of additional expenditure required to fully implement remaining sectors of the EPSEN Act have not recently been conducted. The level of additional expenditure required would have to take into account annual demographic growth and service developments in the area of special educational needs, pricing adjustments and salary cost differentials on an ongoing basis.

Estimates would also have to be made as to the number of pupils who might qualify for the statutory service provisions envisaged by the EPSEN Act.

At present, all schools are encouraged to use Education Plans through training support and guidance. Schools use a range of different education plans, such as Student Support files, Personal Pupil Plans, or Individual Education Plans. As these education plans are prepared and retained in schools, my Department does not have details of who many such support plans are presently in place, or the number of different types of education plans used. However, my Departments Inspectorate's advice is that the majority of schools are now using some form of individual education planning for children with special needs.

While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has published a number of policy advice papers which make recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, and which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act.

It is therefore intended to bring into effect many of the good ideas contained in the EPSEN Act, on a non-statutory basis initially, through policy developments across a range of areas, in conjunction with NCSE policy advice.

Under the Programme for a Partnership Government I have also committed to consulting with stakeholders to see how best to progress sections of the EPSEN Act that were introduced on a non-statutory basis.