Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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288. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions she has taken or if he has plans to provide additional funding to organisations that provide equine therapy and assistance dogs to scale-up service provision across the country; and the estimated cost of undertaking this measure. [52441/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education 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).

The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.

For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education. Further progress has been made in Budget 2024 where 26% of my department’s budget will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs, representing a 5% increase on Budget 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, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs and in 2024 a further 744 teachers, and 1,216 SNAs will be added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs. This will mean we will have over 41,500 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.

The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.

The policy of the Department of Education is to allocate supports to recognised schools to cater for the needs of pupils with special educational needs in an educational context. Therapeutic services for children with disabilities are provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

In general, schools supporting pupils with special educational needs can draw on a range of interventions, and it is a matter for schools to determine the approach or mix of approaches which they will use in each individual case.

The approach towards each child's education would be based on the individual educational needs of the child and would have regard to the child's individual education plan and supporting professional reports.

The provision of health-related supports is the responsibility of the HSE, and matters in relation to the provision of health-related services for children with disabilities, including physical and sensory therapy supports should therefore be directed to that body or to the Department of Health.

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.