Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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55. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which supports are provided to children with special educational needs in County Carlow through SNAs, special classes and resource teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22328/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department's policy aims to ensure that all children with Special Educational Needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network.

Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by fully qualified professional teachers, with the support of Special Needs Assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.

Ensuring that children with special educational needs are supported and given the opportunity to reach their full potential is a key priority for this Government.

In 2018, in the region of €1.75 billion will be invested in Special Education, nearly one fifth of the overall Education budget, and up 43% since 2011.

This funding includes provision for over 13,400 Special Education Teaching posts in mainstream primary and post primary schools, providing additional teaching support to pupils with special educational needs, and over 1,440 special classes, with over 140 new Special Classes to open for the 2018/19 school year. This compares to 548 special classes in 2011.

By the end of this year, some 15,000 special needs assistants will be allocated to schools to support children with additional care needs at an annual cost of some €524m.

With regard to County Carlow, the allocation for the 2018/19 school year is 187 Special Needs Assistants across all mainstream and special schools, which represents an increase of 45% in the SNA allocation in County Carlow since the end of the 2011/12 school year, at which point 127.4 SNAS were allocated.

116.5 Special Education Teachers are currently allocated to 42 primary schools and 52.9 Special Education Teachers are allocated to 11 post primary schools in the County. This is a total allocation of 169.4 special education teachers in County Carlow, compared to 58.6 resource teachers at the end of the 2011/12 school year. However the alocation process has changed in the interim so that the new allocation model now provides a total allocation for resource teaching and learning support.

The number of special classes in the County will increase from 6 in 2011, to 32 in the 2018/19 school year, which represents a four fold increase in provision.