Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of any additional staffing resources or expertise available to schools in order to carry out the educational component of the assessment of needs; the engagement that she or her Department have had with schools in relation to the new process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58223/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Assessment of Need (AON) process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005. Assessment Officers under the remit of the HSE are charged with organising the Assessment of Need.Following on from a court ruling in October 2021, there is now a legal obligation on the education system to assistthe HSE as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process.

The Department of Education and NCSE have worked intensively to ensure that the process put in place adheres to legal obligations arising from the HSE’s AON process and is one that is rooted in existing good practice in schools.

The Department engaged with teachers’ unions, management bodies and other stakeholders in June and September regarding the AON process and how it is to apply in schools. The Department and NCSE worked with a small number of schools in June on a draft of the documents required by schools to complete the education component of the AON. Feedback from the schools on the trialing process informed the development of the form and guidance to be used in the process. Feedback arising from engagement with the schools was provided to stakeholders in September.

The Department of Education and the NCSE have put in place a suite of supports to assist schools in completing the educational component of the HSE’s AON process. These include:

- Detailed guidance

- A short video for use by schools settings on how to comply with the process

- Email support at aon@ncse.ie

- Phone support at 01 603 3200 to access administrative support or further access to specialist support

On Thursday, 27th October, my Department and the NCSE met with stakeholders and partners in education.The purpose of the meeting was to address the issues and concerns which have arisen in schools around the AON process and to work to resolve these issues. Progress was made and clarity was provided on a number of issues raised by the stakeholders.

Following this stakeholder engagement, my Department and NCSE have committed to extending the trial period of the AON process and to provide additional support through teams led by the NCSE and supported by my Department.

The NCSE has commenced engagement with the schools involved in the trialing of the process. These schools will become part of an extended pilot which will beevaluated and which will inform the development of the final process. The Department and NCSE are satisfied that the information provided as a result of this engagement will meet the requirements as set out in the AON process.

Work will continue with stakeholders to finalise an education focused AON process.