Written answers
Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Department of Education and Skills
Special Educational Needs
Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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382. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated additional cost in 2022 of increasing special education provision by 15% above the 2021 level. [44939/21]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Support for special needs education is one of the most important areas of my Department's operations and an allocation of over €2 Billion has been provided for 2021, representing some 22% of its projected gross voted expenditure for the year. This funding is primarily allocated to meet the salary costs of teachers and special needs assistants but also includes school transport and various other supports. An increase of 15% in this allocation would amount to over €300m.
Over recent budgets, additional resources have been made available to the area of special needs education, including through the delivery of extra teaching and Special Needs Assistant posts and capital investment.
In looking at the competing demands for Budget 2022, including in relation to special needs education, I will have regard to the level of resources which will be available to my Department, in the context of the continuing need for the Government to manage the economy and the public finances particularly in the context of the challenges posed by COVID-19. I will formulate specific budgetary priorities, having regard to the views of the education partners and all concerned stakeholders.
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