Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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69. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to ensure an appropriate second level school place is identified and provided for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [37962/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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It is the policy of my Department 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.

Some children with special educational needs attend mainstream classes, but some require the environment of a special class or special school. This decision is based on a recommendation contained within a professional assessment in consultation with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

Students enrolling in specialised placements must have a report from a relevant professional or team of professionals stating that:

- S/he has a disability (in line with the designation of the special placement in question) and

- S/he has significant learning needs that require the support of a specialised setting and the reasons why this is the case.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) plans and co-ordinates the provision of educational support services to children with special educational needs, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools and it does not maintain details of waiting lists in schools.

Accordingly, the NCSE advises parents, to seek to enrol their child, by applying in writing, to the school/s of their choice as early as possible. Where parents have been unsuccessful in enrolling their child in a school placement, for the 2018/19 school year, they should update their local SENO to inform the planning process.

It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.  The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. Under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act 1998, each school is legally obliged to publish its enrolment policy.

Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a board of management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the Board refuses enrolment to a student. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to either the relevant Educational Training Board or to the Secretary General of my Department.

The NCSE works in collaboration with the Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency which is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child or can offer assistance where a child is out of school. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at .

My officials have informed me that the parents of the child referred to by the Deputy took an appeal against the decision of a school to expel their son. The appeal which took place on 22/2/2018 was not upheld. Home Tuition was sanctioned as an interim measure from 19/2/2018 to 23/3/2018 and again from 23/4/2018 to 1/6/2018.

In circumstances, where there is no school placement available for a child with Special Educational Needs, my Department will provide the Home Tuition grant towards the provision of 20 hours tuition per week as an interim measure until the NCSE confirms that a placement is available.

My officials have informed me that the Home Tuition Grant was approved for the child referred to by the Deputy on 7 September 2018, as an interim measure until a school placement becomes available.  

The NCSE has advised that the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) is continuing to liaise with the parents of the child and has identified a suitable school placement in which they may enrol their child.