Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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243. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when schools will be advised of their special needs supports in view of the implementation of the new model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11991/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that schools will receive details of their allocations under the new model for allocating special education teachers to mainstream schools this week.

A new Circular setting out details of the scheme will also be published this week.

The aim of this new model is to deliver better outcomes for children with special educational needs. Large amounts of research, analysis, consultation with service users and stakeholders, and piloting have gone in to the development of this model and all the evidence points to the fact that this new system will deliver better outcomes for children.

No school will lose supports as a result of the implementation of the new model. In addition, no school will receive an allocation, for the support of pupils with complex needs, less than the allocation they received to support such pupils during the 2016/17 school year. No allocation made for such pupils by the NCSE will be removed from schools as long as that pupil remains in the school.

An additional 900 teaching posts will be provided to support the introduction of this new allocation model. The provision of an additional 900 teaching posts is a very significant investment in the provision of additional teaching support for pupils with special educational needs in our schools. This is additional to an increase of 41% in the number of resource teachers allocated to schools annually by the NCSE since 2011, when 5265 teachers were allocated, as opposed to provision for 7542 posts in the current school year.

The additional funding will provide extra supports to over 1000 schools who are identified as needing additional supports as a result of the new model. Supports for children with special educational needs is a huge priority for this Government. We currently spend over €1.6 billion, or one fifth of the total education budget, on supports for children with special educational needs.

This investment will ensure that all schools receive a sufficient allocation of special education needs resources to provide additional teaching support to all pupils who require such support. 

Under the new allocation model, schools will be provided with a total allocation which includes a baseline allocation for the school and an allocation based on the school profile.

The provision of a profiled allocation will give a fairer allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the actual level of need and pupils in each school.

Schools will be frontloaded with resources, based on each school's profile, to provide supports immediately to those pupils who need it without delay. This will reduce the administrative burden on schools as they will no longer have to complete an application process annually and apply for newly enrolled pupils, or pupils transferring in to the school, who require resource hours. Children who need support can have that support provided immediately rather than having to wait for a diagnosis.

Full details of the scheme will be set out in the Circular which will be published this week.