Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects to continue to facilitate the special needs teaching requirements at primary and second level with particular reference to autism needs at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18533/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism, 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.

Children, therefore, have a number of placement options including mainstream placement with support, placement in a special class in a mainstream school or placement in a special class in a special school.

We now have the highest level of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support, Resource Teaching allocations and Special Class provision that we have ever had, 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.

I recently announced that from September next 12,900 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), at a total gross annual cost of €425 million will be available for allocation to primary and secondary schools. This is 860 more posts, or a 7% increase, in the number of posts over which were available last year. In total the number of SNA posts available has increased by almost 22% from 10,575 posts available in 2011.

There are currently over 11,800 Learning Support and Resource Teacher posts in mainstream primary and post primary schools providing additional teaching support to pupils with special educational needs.

In May of this year the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocated 7,015 Resource Teaching posts to mainstream schools for September 2016, which is an increase of approximately 9% over the number allocated at September 2015.

In total, 7,452 Resource Teacher posts will be available for allocation to schools for 2016 -2017, which represents an increase of 41% from 5,265 posts available in 2011.

In addition, approximately 150 new Special Classes will be opened for the 2016/17 school year, which means there will be over 1,150 special classes in place, compared to 548 special classes in 2011. Of these 1153 classes, there will be 237 post primary, 525 primary and 127 Early Intervention classes for children with autism, in mainstream schools.

Each special class for autism at primary level has a 6:1 pupil teacher ratio and at post-primary level has a 6:1.5 pupil teacher ratio. These classes also have Special Needs Assistant support normally amounting to 2 SNAs for a class of 6 children.

The Deputy will be aware that the NCSE was requested to prepare updated policy advice on the Educational Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In developing this policy advice, the NCSE consulted widely with parents, professionals and other stakeholders and interested parties while also conducting research.

The advice is intended to identify the nature and extent of educational intervention/s, teaching practices and other supports which should be provided to enable children with autism to achieve educational outcomes appropriate to their needs and abilities.

An implementation group has now been established to review the recommendations of this policy advice. Any recommendations which relate to the issues raised by the Deputy will be fully considered by this group which will prepare an implementation plan for my consideration.