Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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361. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details regarding places for students in the ASD unit in Ballybunion (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7193/23]

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 providing supports to children and young people with special educational needs and 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 SEN in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and 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 mainstream, 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 29 new special classes in Co. Kerry over the last 3 years. Of these, 20 special classes are at primary level and 9 are at post-primary level.

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.

As the need for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my Department and the NCSE are engaging with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes. My Department has also previously written to all post-primary schools to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes.

At local level, the NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding which children can be supported to attend a mainstream class and with regard to 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.

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

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 ncse.ie

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-services-contact-list.

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 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 education.

As your query refers to an individual placement case, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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362. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to expand the number of reading schools and available places in existing reading schools for children with dyslexia in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7195/23]

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 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.

This includes additional teaching and care supports. 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.

In 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), which is a separate statutory agency, is responsible through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas where a need has been identified. The NCSE welcomes expressions of interest from schools in opening special classes to meet the demand for special class provision. In deciding on the location of a special class, SENOs take into account both the present and the future potential need for special class provision in the area, they must be satisfied that the special class is sustainable and appropriately located. SENOs liaise with relevant professionals in their area to arrive at an informed decision.

It is Department policy, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that pupils with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary.

My Department has invested considerably in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to cater for children with special educational needs, including pupils with a Specific Learning Disability.Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have been published on my Department’s website, at education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Special-Education/Guidelines-for-Primary-Schools-Supporting-Pupils-with-Special-Educational-Needs-in-Mainstream-Schools.pdf. It is a matter for schools to monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance. In addition, there are specialist educational supports provided by the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to help schools provide an appropriate education for pupils with special educational needs including reading difficulties.

My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with a SLD, to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. As such, pupils with SLD have the option of attending their local school with additional teaching supports or attending a special class attached to a mainstream school or a special school.

Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with SLDs, where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools apply to the NCSE, through their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) for such support. SENOs make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required, in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.

A continuum of education provision is in place covering the full range of need spanning placement in mainstream classes with supports through to more specialist placements either in a special class or a special school depending on the level of complexity of need.

It is important to note though, that the majority of students with significant literacy difficulties currently receive additional teaching support from a Special Education Teacher in a mainstream class. This is provided on the basis of the individual pupil’s learning needs, identified in schools, as opposed to being based on a requirement for a child to have a diagnosis, or an assessment, of a particular disability.

As the Deputy may be aware, I have requested my Department to arrange for a review of the policy on reading classes and schools. The Department’s Inspectorate is currently working to finalise its report on the outcomes of a series of special educational needs inspections in schools with special classes for children with specific learning disabilities. It is envisaged that this report will be finalised in the coming weeks.When completed, this report will also be considered in the context of overall policy on special education.