Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

250. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider introducing additional supports for second level schools to develop autism-friendly rooms for recently diagnosed students (details supplied). [6107/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 providing supports to children and young people with special educational needs and to their schools..

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 to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers and special needs assistants. 

It also includes funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) for an additional 54 psychologists to provide services to special schools and special classes.

For 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 special needs assistants in our schools next year.

For the first time ever we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 Special needs assistants. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.

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

It is important to recognise that the vast majority of our children with special educational needs or additional needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children have more complex needs, special classes and mainstream schools and special schools are available. A professional report is required to access a special class or special school placement.

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.

My Department is engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places for the next school year 2023/2024. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class and special school 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 in both mainstream and special schools 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 has developed a resource regarding Sensory Spaces, titled “Sensory Spaces in Schools’. This resource aims to highlight the importance of teachers and school staff creating and using sensory spaces in schools to enhance and promote the health and wellbeing of the whole school with a focus on both the culture and the environment. This closely links with the aims of the Wellbeing Policy Statement Framework for Practice 2018-2023. This resource provides a strengths based, student centred approach to looking at the sensory environments within a school and establishing a culture where sensory spaces and sensory strategies are utilised throughout the school day. It offers guidelines for teachers and school staff to holistically support students by collaboratively creating and using sensory spaces with their students.

In addition, a Special Education Need Office is included in my Department's Planning and Building Unit standard Schedule of Accommodation (SOA) for SEN Base accommodation in mainstream schools. This room is intended as a multi purpose space that can be used for meetings and for visiting therapist.

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.

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.