Written answers

Thursday, 4 April 2019

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Photo of John CurranJohn Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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80. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if provision will be made for additional places in an ASD unit at a school (details supplied). [15718/19]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Individual school boards of management are responsible for the establishment of special classes. It is open to any school to make application to the National Council for Special education (NCSE) to establish a special class.

The NCSE, an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs. The Council ensures that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.

In deciding where to establish a special class in an area, the NCSE take account of the current and projected demand and the available school accommodation both current and planned. In this regard, the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) may approach individual schools to discuss the matter with a view to finding the optimal location in terms of convenience and sustainability.

160 new special classes have been opened for the 2018/19 school year, which means there are now 1,459 special classes in place, compared to 548 in 2011.

There are 37 special schools and 237 special classes attached to mainstream schools in Co. Dublin. Of these, 17 are ASD early intervention classes, 139 are primary ASD classes and 41 are post primary ASD classes.

The number of ASD special classes in Co. Dublin have increased from 66 in 2011/2012 to 197 in 2018/2019.

When the NCSE sanction a special class in a school, the school can apply to my Department for capital funding to reconfigure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the class and/or to construct additional accommodation.

Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) who are locally based are available to assist and advise parents whose children have special needs. They also assist and advise schools in making decisions in this area.

From time to time, the NCSE identifies local areas where additional special class provision is required. In those circumstances, Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) work with the schools and families concerned to resolve the issues involved. This process is ongoing and the NCSE are actively engaging with schools in relation to establishing ASD classes where there is an identified need for the 2019/2020 school year.

My Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children who require special class placements can access such placements in schools within their communities. A Working Group, chaired by the NCSE, has been established to put in place a new working protocol to ensure that there is effective pro-active planning and timely delivery of specialist educational places for students.

My Department is aware that the establishment of special provision in some schools and communities can be challenging.

The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 will assist in addressing this issue in areas where the NCSE is of the opinion that there is insufficient education provision for children with special educational needs.

Section 8 of the Act provides the Minister with a power, after a process of consultation with the NCSE, the board of management and the patron of the school, to compel a school to make additional provision for the education of children with special educational needs.

Photo of Mick BarryMick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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81. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the provision of education for a child (details supplied) with autism. [15755/19]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The National Council for Special education (NCSE), an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs. The Council ensures that special schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special school placements.

The NCSE’s team of locally based Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents whose children have special needs and identify available placements. They also support and advise schools in this area. Parents who are experiencing difficulties in locating a special school placement, should contact their local SENO.

Special schools are staffed based on their actual current pupil profiles and the disability category of each pupil, as opposed to primarily by school designation. School staffing levels are reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE.

From time to time, the NCSE identifies local areas where additional special school provision is required. In those circumstances, Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) work with the schools and families concerned to resolve the issues involved. This process is ongoing and the NCSE are actively engaging with special schools in Cork in relation to ensuring that there will be sufficient placements to meet the identified need for the 2019/2020 school year.

I understand that the local SENO is continuing to work with the family of the child referred to by the Deputy in identifying a suitable school placement.

My Department is aware that the establishment of special school and class provision in some schools and communities can be challenging.

The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 will assist in addressing this issue in areas where the NCSE is of the opinion that there is insufficient education provision for children with special educational needs.

Section 8 of the Act provides the Minister with a power, after a process of consultation with the NCSE, the board of management and the patron of the school, to compel a school to make additional provision for the education of children with special educational needs.

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