John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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465. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there is currently no SENO in an area (details supplied) at present; when it is likely that this post will be filled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4718/23]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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467. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special educational needs organisers currently in place in Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4720/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 465 and 467 together.

I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.

For 2023, the spend by my Department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my 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.

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

My Department does not manage the recruitment of or the day to day operational management of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO's),

SENO's are employees of the NCSE and as such I am forwarding your query to the NCSE for their direct reply to you. Where there are vacancies in particular areas I think it is important that schools and parents are provided with an alternative contact point and support.

It has been a priority for me as Minister and my Department that the NCSE is properly resourced to have a visible and effective presence in our schools and with our parents and children guiding and supporting them on their educational journey.

My Department is making a significant investment in the expansion of the NCSE to ensure it can respond effectively, compassionately and quickly to the increased need in our education system so that children and their families are fully supported and achieve the best possible education outcomes.

The funding will see an increase of over 50% in staffing levels in the NCSE. This will provide for an additional 161 staff, including 40 new staff for an Irish sign language scheme which I announced in March and over 70 staff who will have direct engagement with children and schools.

This level of investment of close to an additional €13m in the NCSE will ensure that they are fit for purpose and able to deliver real and meaningful supports for children, families and schools who support children with special educational needs.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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466. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of NEPS child psychologists in Wicklow at present, broken down by each area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4719/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools.

The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:

- Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident

- A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).

- A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and

- Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.

NEPS, in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximise positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Where reasonable progress is not made, following a school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, a psychologist will become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment.  This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually.

In 2021 the NEPS casework service extended to over 8,500 students. Additionally, under the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) process, private psychologists provided assessment to schools for over 900 students. Furthermore, the NEPS Support and Development service reaches an estimated 25,000 teachers annually.

NEPS is structured upon 8 regional divisions, with 23 local offices each catering for schools in the immediate locale. The number of educational psychologists currently employed in NEPS stands at 225 whole-time equivalents across the eight NEPS regions, having grown from a base of 173 in 2014.

Wicklow is part of the Dublin Mid Leinster region - comprising Kildare, Wicklow and South Dublin –there are 35 whole-time equivalent psychologists assigned to schools across the region.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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468. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current number of ASD places in both primary and secondary schools in Wicklow; if there are plans to increase capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4721/23]

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:

Enabling children with special educational needs (SEN) to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.

It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my Department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

For 2023, the spend by my Department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my 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 funding for new special classes, new special school places, additional special educational teachers and special needs assistants. 

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide.

Over the last two to three years, my Department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient special class and special school places.

These initiatives are bearing fruit with over 600 new special classes sanctioned at primary level, almost 300 new special classes sanctioned at post-primary level and five new special schools established over the last three years.

The NCSE have sanctioned a total of  90 special classes in Co. Wicklow.  Of these, 64 special classes are at Primary level and 26 are at Post Primary level.  These classes normally support 6 students and therefore provide approximately 540 special class places.

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.

The NCSE have sanctioned a total of 2,544 special classes nationwide, with 1,802 at primary and 742 at post-primary. As the demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, my Department and the NCSE are engaging with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes. My Department has also written to all post-primary schools to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes.

My Department and the NCSE met with the main post-primary school management bodies last week to share a list of schools who could potentially open new special classes in September 2023. The NCSE will now engage directly with those schools to sanction special classes.

It is of course open to any school to engage with the NCSE to establish a special class.

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.

It is important to note that where possible, children with special educational needs should be accommodated in mainstream education, but where the needs of the children are greater, special classes and indeed special schools are provided. Every effort should be made where special classes exist within a mainstream school to integrate the children and young people in this class with their peers in mainstream classes.

I want to reassure you also that my Department 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 appropriate education.

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 .