Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of establishing the inclusion support service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17771/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that a new Regional Support Service is presently being developed within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in order to assist schools in supporting children with special education needs.

This service will bring under their control the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for children who are deaf/hard of hearing and for children who are blind/visually impaired (VTSVHI) which until 20 March 2017 have been managed by my Department.

This change is consistent with recommendations of NCSE reports and with the review of the Visiting Teacher Service for Visually and Hearing Impaired children.  It will mean that schools will receive a better and more integrated service from this new Support Service.

The NCSE's Regional Support Service will build on the existing good work and support which NBSS, SESS and VTSVHI provide to children and their families as well as to teachers and schools. 

The services are being transferred to the NCSE initially on the basis of an existing level of service provision. The cost of fully incorporating the services into the NCSE support service will not be known until account is taken of any additional cost requirements for the NCSE in managing the services, while also taking into account any efficiencies that might be able to be made through greater coordination and integration of the services.