Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and advise that the provision of education for children with additional educational needs is a priority for government and for me as Minister for Special Education and Inclusion. This is reflected in my department’s 2023 budget allocation of more than €2.6 billion to support special education. This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department of Education’s total allocation for 2023.

Inclusive education is at the core of my department’s policy which requires differentiated teaching approaches to cater for the varying levels of ability in the classroom, from providing additional supports to those experiencing difficulty to ensuring appropriate levels of challenge and enrichment for exceptionally able students.

The Education Act, 1998, requires the boards of management of each school to publish the policy of the school relating to participation by students with special educational needs, including students who are exceptionally able. The measures schools take in this regard are required to be stated in the school plan. It is the duty of the board of management to ensure that appropriate education services are made available to such students.

Schools at both primary and secondary level have been encouraged to use strategies such as curriculum differentiation, curriculum enrichment and acceleration to facilitate the development of pupils who are exceptionally able.

In addition, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) host a number of seminars during the year to provide guidance to teachers to support gifted and talented students.

Furthermore, Oide, through their school support model provide bespoke supports to schools who have identified specific needs for gifted students and respond by facilitating collaborative conversations among staff as to how best to collectively support their students through a planned and coherent approach.

My department has also established a working group to develop its policy on students who are exceptionally able or gifted. The working group is jointly chaired by my department's Special Education Section and Curriculum and Assessment Policy Unit.

The group has been tasked with, inter alia, the following:

• Scoping out existing supports for students with exceptional abilities
• Examining how other education systems provide for students with exceptional abilities
• Devising guidance for schools
• Reviewing draft guidelines for teachers on meeting the needs of students with exceptional abilities published by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in 2007.

While my department had intended to progress this work earlier in 2023, personnel changes in Special Education Section have delayed this somewhat.

The review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act currently being undertaken will involve focus groups with a range of interest groups and students. High achieving students will be invited to engage in one of these options based on consultation with the research facilitators in University College Dublin (UCD).

My department and the NCSE are 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.