Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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183. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will examine the inherently inequitable situation whereby children with intellectual disabilities who are frequently ill, hospitalised and unable to attend school for long periods of time, sometimes a school year, cannot avail of additional school years later (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9777/24]

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).

Special schools funded by my department are classified as primary national schools and are intended, in accordance with the provisions of rule 64(1) of the Rules for National Schools, to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from the age of 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year.

Special schools may however seek approval from my department for an exemption from rule 64(1) in respect of students over the age of 18 who are pursuing courses leading to accreditation on the National Qualifications Framework (e.g. Junior Certificate/Leaving Cert Applied/QQI Level 3).

A request for an exemption from rule 64(1) can only be made by a school where:

1. The student is pursuing a course leading to accreditation on the National Qualifications Framework (e.g. Junior Certificate/Leaving Certificate Applied/QQI Level 3)
2. The student requires one additional year in order to complete their course
3. Retaining the student in the school for another school year will not prevent a younger pupil being enrolled there and
4. Plans are in place to transition the student to a post-school setting at the end of the 2024/2025 school year

My department is 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.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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184. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to respond to concerns raised by school (details supplied) in respect of the cut to SET resources in terms of the impact it will have on the overall ability of the school to provide appropriate special education to pupils in need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9779/24]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question.

At the outset, I want to stress that enabling students with additional needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for this Government.

The special education teacher (SET) allocations provide additional teaching support for students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes in primary and post primary schools.

Approximately 98% of all children, including those with special education needs, are educated in mainstream classes.

There has been an increase in the number of full-time SET posts across the country, increasing the overall availability of resources. This is the highest number of SET teachers ever in our schools.

There will be 14,600 SETs supporting mainstream classes in the 2024/25 school year, which is an increase of 1,000 since the end of the 2021 school year.

There has been a limited change to the method used to allocate Special Education Teachers to mainstream classes. The previous SET allocation model was in place since 2017. The Department commenced a review of the model in late 2022 to ensure that it was meeting the changing needs in special education. This review involved consulting with unions, management bodies, and schools to hear their views on the strengths and shortcomings of the allocation model and that feedback was incorporated into the revised model.

The allocations to schools issued on the 6th February 2024 arising from the review. The allocation model for 2024/25 distributes the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need.

The model makes an allocation on the basis of a number of inputs, including enrolment numbers. Children with complex needs are supported in the model by now using school-level data from standardised tests in order to reflect relative levels of overall needed. The model also seeks to distribute teaching resources in the fairest possible manner, taking into account as much evidence as possible in respect of individual schools and evidence in respect of the best possible use of resources.

Of schools across the country, 67% of schools have either increased their allocation or retained their previous allocation. Of those schools whose allocation has been decreased, 70% of these schools have reduced their hours by 5 hours or less.

The SET allocation model is designed to distribute additional teaching resources across the entire school system. This is to ensure that additional teaching resources are available to support pupils with the greatest level of learning need. There is a defined level of resources available to distribute across the whole school system.

It is important to understand that Special Education Teacher resources are distributed to schools based on learning needs across the entire system. This round of allocation of Special Education Teacher resources to schools will see some schools gaining hours while others may see a reduction in hours.

The department, along with stakeholders, are cognisant that the model needs to continue to evolve so that the SET allocations process takes into account new or improved data sources and other changes within the school system.

A phased high level plan has been compiled to further enhance the model over the coming years.

The Department acknowledges that every school is different, and that schools can experience unique circumstances that may be difficult to reflect in any standardised method. This is always a challenge when making allocations in respect of 4,000 schools. It is for this reason that the Department, working with the NCSE has streamlined the review process for special education teachers and schools who have any concerns can engage with the NCSE on their allocation.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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185. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will urgently reconsider proposals contained within circular 0002/24 issued by her Department, specifically proposals to remove the category of "complex educational needs" in allocating SET hours; if the Minister consulted with Down Syndrome Ireland in relation to this proposed change; and if she agrees that it could have a detrimental effect on the possible educational attainments of some pupils. [9786/24]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question.

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.

In 2023, my department spent over €2.6 billion on special education and further progress will be made this year as an additional €113m will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs.

As the SET allocation model has been in place since 2017 based on a 2014 NCSE report, my Department believed a review of the model was prudent. The department commenced a review in late 2022 to ensure that the model was meeting the changing needs in special education.

The review of the SET allocation model further identified that a programme of continuous development was required to ensure that the model was delivering effectively, both in supporting the changing needs in the education system, and for individual schools. All schools received their full allocations, including the SET allocations, for the next school year, on 6th February 2024.

A high level roadmap has been discussed and agreed with our education partners during a series of consultations to enhance the inputs and improve the sensitivity of the model.

The journey of enhancement begins with the 2024/25 allocation by ensuring that the model has a strong foundation.

The complex needs input, which was introduced in the 2017 model, was predicated on the provision of data from the HSE Children Disability Network Teams on children entering junior infants with special education needs who were assessed or triaged for a waiting list for assessment.

The review highlighted concerns in relation to the veracity and the consistency of the data provided on a national basis by the CDNT. This resulted in the potential for significant variations from one area of the country to another. In addition, it is not possible to verify whether all data reported relates solely to educational need as distinct from care needs, which are resourced through the Special Needs Assistant allocation process, or medical needs.

To ensure that schools are not negatively impacted by these issues, all existing hours assigned for complex needs are being maintained for each school and future data from the CDNT will not be used as a value in the model. This is being done by reapportioning this value at individual school level across the remaining pillars with an emphasis on the Literacy and Numeracy category which demonstrates where additional teaching supports are required. This exercise strengthens the model to give a sustainable allocation to schools, which recognises where there are significant learning needs.

I would like to assure you that there have been no cuts to mainstream Special Education Teaching posts in the education system. There are now more Special Education Teaching posts than ever before in schools.

For 2024/25 there will be 14,600 SETs – double the figure from 2014 and an increase of 1,000 from the 2020/21 school year.

Furthermore the SET model is an allocation model to provide schools with additional teaching supports to support the learning needs of students. I want to assure you that the guidance to schools on the proper deployment and usage remains unchanged and that schools must deploy their SET resources in line with the Continuum of Support. The guiding principle of the continuum is that SET resources usage and deployment continues to be that the student greatest level of need should receive the greatest level of support.

I would be the first to acknowledge that every school is different, and that schools can experience unique circumstances that may be difficult to reflect in any standardised method. This is always a challenge when we seek to make allocations in respect of 4,000 schools. It is for this reason that the review process has been streamlined for Special Education Teachers and schools who feel that they have received an inappropriate allocation can make this application to the NCSE.

My department is committed to ongoing engagement with all of our education partners in relation to future developments and enhancements to the SET model.

The Department of Education values hugely the close collaboration with stakeholders, including advocacy groups in supporting children with SEN. An Advocacy Forum, which includes Down Syndrome Ireland and was established in March 2022, has been a useful mechanism to progress shared objectives. To date the Forum has focused on issues that were prioritised by the advocate groups – including summer programmes, special class provision and behaviours of concern.

The Department has agreed that further engagement is required with advocacy groups, including on SET early next week and other issues which affect their members, which is planned in 2024.

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).

Special schools funded by my department are classified as primary national schools and are intended, in accordance with the provisions of rule 64(1) of the Rules for National Schools, to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from the age of 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year.

Special schools may however seek approval from my department for an exemption from rule 64(1) in respect of students over the age of 18 who are pursuing courses leading to accreditation on the National Qualifications Framework (e.g. Junior Certificate/Leaving Cert Applied/QQI Level 3).

A request for an exemption from rule 64(1) can only be made by a school where:

1. The student is pursuing a course leading to accreditation on the National Qualifications Framework (e.g. Junior Certificate/Leaving Certificate Applied/QQI Level 3)
2. The student requires one additional year in order to complete their course
3. Retaining the student in the school for another school year will not prevent a younger pupil being enrolled there and
4. Plans are in place to transition the student to a post-school setting at the end of the 2024/2025 school year

My department is 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.