Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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124. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 18 October 2017, if the HSE holds data on the number of children turned down annually for speech and language classes in primary schools despite meeting the qualifying criteria for specific speech and language disorder; and if so, the data for each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017. [45145/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Further to the Deputy's parliamentary question of 10th and 18th October, I wish to clarify that students with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD) may attend a special class in a mainstream school for students with SSLD, with speech and language therapy services provided in class by the HSE or attend a mainstream class with additional teaching supports and speech & language therapy through the HSE primary care service. Students with SSLD, with additional complex special educational needs, may also attend a special school.

Students with specific speech and language disorder not enrolled in a special class for SSLD may qualify for additional teaching support under the School's Special Education Teaching Support provision which has been introduced in schools in September 2017.

Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools which was published on 7th March 2017 sets out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools. The revised allocation model replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support and high incidence special educational needs, and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocation process which provided additional resource teaching supports to schools, to support students assessed as having Low Incidence disabilities. One of the benefits of this new approach is that schools will have greater flexibility as to how they will deploy their resources. Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have also been published:

Currently, over 10,200 students with Specific Speech and Language Disorder attending mainstream, special classes and special schools have access to special educational needs supports.

Students with Specific Speech and Language difficulties also have access to speech therapy services either through the speech and language therapy services provided in the special class setting by the Health Service Executive (HSE), or through the primary care service. The provision of health supports, including Speech and Language Therapy services, is the responsibility of the HSE.

Information in relation to students with Specific Speech and Language Disorder in mainstream primary and post primary schools with additional supports; in special classes and in special schools from 2011/12 to 2016/17 is attached.