Written answers

Thursday, 25 February 2021

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs

Photo of Steven MatthewsSteven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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162. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of places available for the new ASD unit in a school (details supplied) due to open in September 2021; and her views on the need for more ASD units in the wider Greystones area of County Wicklow. [10653/21]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. The Department of Education will spend approximately €2 Billion or over 20% of its total educational budget in 2021 on making additional provision for children with special educational needs this year.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. It has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents. NCSE seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special education placements.

NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and special school places nationally, to meet identified need. This process is ongoing.

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school.

Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.

Through better planning at both national and local level, it is my objective that specialist education places should come on stream to meet emerging demand on a timely basis. However, the active collaboration of school communities is essential in this regard.

There are currently 3 special classes providing placements for students in the wider Greystones area at Post Primary level. The school referred to by the Deputy has received sanction for 2 special classes over the next two school years, with 6 students in each class. I can assure the Deputy that where schools notify NCSE of vacancies within their specialist provision, SENOs work locally to ensure parents are made aware of these special class places.

Through ongoing consultation at local level, the NCSE is aware of those parents whose children will be seeking placement for the 2021/22 academic year, including mainstream placement with appropriate support, special class placement, Early Intervention and special school placement. The NCSE continues to work to identify any and all relevant suitable placements.

NCSE has advised that they are aware of an identified need for additional special classes in the Bray/Greystones area. I also understand NCSE is in ongoing consultation with post primary schools in the area with a view to establishing additional special classes in this and in the North Wicklow area generally to meet the identified need.

The NCSE's local Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise both schools and the parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: . Information on the list of schools with special classes is available at www.ncse.ie.

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