Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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496. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the accommodations and provisions being made in mainstream secondary education for children with mild to moderate learning disability to return to the mainstream classroom in which they have been thriving; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12781/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I know that a phased re-opening of schools is particularly challenging for many children with special educational needs who have not yet returned to school and their families.

The purpose of managing this cautious phased return is to continue to limit the mobility of the population and curb the spread of the virus.

These further phases have been developed in close collaboration with education stakeholders and follow ongoing engagement with the Department of Health and Public Health, HSE.

There will be a period of time between each phase to assess the impact of reopening on aspects of community transmission. It is not possible for other children to return to in-school provision during this period.

The phased return of students to in-school education and the associated target dates are as follows

- Monday 1 March- the first four class groups at primary level – junior and senior infants, first and second class – and final year Leaving Certificate students returned to in-school provision. This phase also saw a return to full attendance for children in special schools, as well as children in early start pre-school classes and early intervention special classes for children with autism or hearing impairment.

- Monday 15 March- the return to in-school provision of the rest of primary school children – third to sixth class, and fifth year Leaving Certificate students. This date will be reviewed during the period following 1 March.

- Monday 12 April - the return to in-school education of the rest of post-primary students following the Easter break – i.e. first to fourth year students.

My Department is anxious to support those pupils/students with SEN who are unable to return to in-school teaching and learning under these phases.

At Post Primary level in recognition that not all students with complex special education needs will be back in school in this phase, the supplementary programme for eligible students who have not yet returned to in person learning will be extended by a further two weeks (an additional 10 hours, for a total allocation of 30 hours).