Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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259. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when access to an autism class in mainstream education can be made available to a student (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60123/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:

My Department is committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. My Department strives to ensure that every child has access to an educational experience that is appropriate to their needs and supports both their academic and personal development.

Our policy, which is set out in the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (EPSEN) is that children with SEN should be educated in mainstream placements with additional supports provided as appropriate.

The NCSE is statutorily responsible for planning and coordinating provision at both a local and a national level and advising my Department in this regard.

Where children require more specialised educational settings, such as special classes or special schools, the Department and National Council for Special Education (NCSE) ensures that the necessary resources and supports for such placements are provided in line with the needs of the child.

My Department is engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

At local level, the NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding the establishment of additional special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. Every support will be made available to schools to progress the opening of special classes in the shortest possible timeframe. As part of Budget 2023, additional funding is being provided to allow the NCSE recruit additional staff, including SENOs. These additional resources should ensure that the NCSE can better support parents and schools in relation to the provision of special education needs places.

Significant improvements have been made to the forward planning process for special education places over the last 2 to 3 years, including:

- the inclusion of special classes in all new schools by default (e.g. 4 class in a 1000 pupil post-primary school).

- improving the use of Geographic Information Systems in planning for special classes and special school places and

- increased engagement with key stakeholders such as patron bodies and management bodies, particularly at post-primary level.

As of 31^stOctober there have been 393 new special classes open for the 2022/2023 school year, bringing the total of special classes to 2,545 opened nationwide. The 393 new special classes for 2022/23 is broken down by 260 at primary level and 133 at post primary level.

As part of Budget 2023, my Department’s budget was substantially increased, by over 10%, meaning that for 2023 the Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education. This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023. This includes additional teaching and care supports.

For 2023, at least a further 370 special classes will open, taking the total number of special classes to over 2,900 in 2023.

My Department is committed, in conjunction with the NCSE, to continue to work with parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. The local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: ncse.ie/regional-servic.

Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at www.ncse.ie

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.

My Department wants to reassure you also that it will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.

As the matter raised relates to an individual case, I have also arranged to forward the details you have provided to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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260. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which primary and second level school places as well as adequate special needs classes continue to be made available in such numbers as to meet the demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60126/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.

It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area.

- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area.

- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school, they are not available to all pupils.

- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area.

My Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities.

This close engagement will allow my Department to identify at an early stage particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.

Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland.

Approximately 1,200 school building projects under the Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction – most of which are expected to be either under construction or completed in the period up to 2025. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040 may be viewed on my Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

School place needs across all school planning areas will continue to be kept under review, using refreshed Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and other updated information as they become available.

In regards to Special Needs places The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.

My Department and the NCSE are working closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process to ensure a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school-year and is committed to delivering an inclusive educational environment for all pupils.

My Department and the NCSE continue to work closely in planning for the delivery of new places required to meet forecasted demand.

Through this intensive intervention, for the 2022/2023 school-year we have seen 383 new special classes open, bringing the total of special classes to 2,535 opened nationwide for the 2022/23 school-year. The 383 new special classes for 22/23 is broken down by 253 at primary level and 130 at post primary level.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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261. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) will be awarded special and close observation in school given their propensity to collapse due to ongoing health issues, who is currently attending a special school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60132/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question raised and would advise the following.

The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.

For a child to require or qualify for access to SNA support, a child must have an assessed disability. The care needs outlined must be of such significance that they are beyond that which would normally be expected to be provided to a child by the child’s class teacher, support teacher, or other school teachers, or beyond the level of assistance which could be offered to the student by his/ or her fellow pupils in school. The care needs must also be those beyond which could normally be provided for by alternative supportive approaches or modifications of the classroom environment, teaching approaches and/or assistive technology or specialist equipment.

Circular 30/2014 provides examples of the primary care needs which would be considered significant, and which might require SNA support, these include non-nursing care needs associated with specific medical conditions: such as frequent epileptic seizures or for pupils who have fragile health.

SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.

The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews, my Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.

Additional SNA support may also be sanctioned by the NCSE where there are individual children who have significant care needs which require support above the level of support already sanctioned to the school. In such circumstances, the school may apply to the NCSE for access to additional care supports, clearly outlining the reason why the additional support is necessary.

All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, and the SENO is available to offer assistance and advice to the school. The school should contact the SENO when it considers that additional SNA support is required, the SENO will clarify to the school the information that is required for a review its SNA allocation. Further information on the application process is published on the NCSE website ncse.ie/guidelines-and-applications-forms-for-special-schools.

Nursing support for children with complex needs in school is provided directly by the HSE or through a HSE funded provider. A few schools employ nurses funded from their own resources. There is currently no national standardised process for the allocation of nursing supports in schools for children with complex needs. Where a school has identified children with complex needs who require nursing support, they are directed to the HSE. Please contact the HSE direct for further information in this regard.

Separately the National Nursing Programme Pilot for Children with Complex Healthcare Needs is a nationwide pilot scheme to be run in partnership between HSE and NCSE. It will run for the 2022/23 school year. The pilot is to be evaluated and the outcome will inform the provision of nursing support for students with complex healthcare needs into the future.

HSE Primary Care currently funds Paediatric Home Care Packages (PHCPs), through which preferred private healthcare providers deliver nursing care in the home environment to children with complex healthcare needs.

The pilot nursing scheme will, for eligible students, extend the PHCP from their home into the school setting. This will allow an agency nurse attend school with the student for an agreed number of hours per week, and travel to and from school with them, if necessary. There are other eligibility criteria for students and schools.

An application and assessment process will confirm the eligibility of the student for the scheme, determine the number of hours to support the student, assess any necessary environmental changes, and confirm whether funding is available for their nursing support hours. A transition and ongoing review process will facilitate the student’s transition into school and monitor their progress.

For further information on this scheme can be accessed on the NCSE’s website at the following page: ncse.ie/national-nursing-programme-pilot-for-children-with-complex-healthcare-needsalternatively the school can contact the NCSE direct.