Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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654. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will meet with a group (details supplied) concerning the establishment of a special needs school in the Cork south west. [12773/23]

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 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.

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 and almost 300 new special classes sanctioned at post-primary level. Specifically for Cork, the NCSE has sanctioned 103 new special classes at primary level and 46 new special classes at post-primary level over the last 3 years.

In addition, 3 new special schools have been opened in recent years and 2 further special schools are due to be opened during this school year.

2 of these special schools are in the Cork region. Carrigaline Community Special School opened in 2021 and Rochestown Community Special School is due to open later in the current school year.

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.

As the NCSE are responsible for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs, I would advise the Deputy that the group referred to should liaise with the NCSE initially in relation to existing special school capacity and the potential need to expand special school capacity.

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.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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655. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to ensure that all schools in Cork south west have been properly assessed and assigned the necessary number of SNAs an resource hours for their needs this academic year. [12774/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the deputy for raising these matters 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 Special Education Teaching (SET) Allocation model was introduced in 2017. When the model was introduced it was planned that each schools profile would be updated on a 2 to 3 year cycle. The model was last re-profiled in early 2022 and allocations for the 2022/23 were advised to schools at point.

The next scheduled re-profiling will take place in early 2024 for allocations relating to the 2024/25 school year. Schools will receive an updated circular and resource allocation letter in 2024 – no circular or allocation letter issues for 2023/2024 school year

Circular 0006/2023 - Staffing arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2023/24 school year issued in January 2023 and the Special Education resourcing for each primary school for the 2023/2024 school, year is included in Appendix C of it.

Circulars 0002/2023, 0003/2023 & 0004/2023 Staffing Arrangements in Secondary Schools for the 2023/24 school year were issued to schools in January 2023 and staffing schedules issued to individual post primary schools.

The SET allocation allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools and for schools to deploy resources based on each pupil’s individual learning needs.

A process is available where schools can seek a review of their SET allocation by the NCSE, including the utilisation of their allocations. Detailed information on the NCSE review process is published on the NCSE website ncse.ie/special-education-teachers.

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.

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.

It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

In relation to SNA support the following arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes applies for the 2022/23 academic year:

a) The SNA allocations for mainstream classes in schools issued on 31st May 2022 and will be maintained for 2022/23.

b) A process for schools, whereby if they consider their SNA allocation is in excess of the required care needs, to engage with the NCSE. Schools should contact their local NCSE Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) to commence the process.

c) The exceptional review process undertaken by NCSE will remain in place throughout the 2022/23 school year, where schools can seek a review of their SNA allocations which will result in one of the following outcomes:

i. No change in the level of care need identified (and no change in the resultant SNA allocation);

ii. Increase in the level of care need identified (which if significant would see an increase in the SNA allocations to the schools) ;

iii. Decrease in level of care need identified in the school (which if significant would result in a reduction in SNA allocations as the care need could be managed with less resources than are currently allocated); In relation to outcome iii, the SNA allocation will be adjusted at the end of the relevant school term.

It is expected that schools will review and reprioritise the deployment of SNAs within mainstream settings and allocate resources to ensure those with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support. Providing access to SNA support continues to be based on primary care needs as outlined in DES Circular 0030/2014 circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/education/2014/30.pdf.

Following such a review and reprioritisation, it is expected that a small number of schools, e.g. developing schools, may not have a sufficient SNA allocation to meet the needs of their students. These schools can apply to the NCSE for an Exceptional Review of their allocation.

Detailed information on the NCSE Exceptional Review process is published on the NCSE website. ncse.ie/application-for-sna-exceptional-review.

The NCSE will endeavour to respond to all applications for Exceptional Review received as expediently as possible and in that regard, it will prioritise applications from schools with no current SNA allocation and developing schools. The Exceptional Review process for mainstream allocations will be available to schools throughout the 2022/23 school year.

The NCSE has developed an appeal mechanism for schools who are not satisfied with the outcome of the Exceptional Review. Local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) will provide information and clarification to schools on the outcome where requested. Where schools wish to appeal the outcome of the review, they must do so using the prescribed form provided by the NCSE ncse.ie/ncse-appeals-process.