James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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327. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the reduction of 2.5 special education teaching hours at a school (details supplied); the reasons for this reduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10698/24]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I want to thank the Deputy for raising this issue.

The Special Education teaching allocation model for 2024/25 distributes the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need.

It seeks to distribute teaching resources in the fairest possible manner, taking into account quality, robust evidence in respect of individual schools.

This ensures that resources are in the right place at the right time to meet the needs of children in mainstream.

There will more Special Education Teachers in our schools in September 2024 than ever before – an increase of 1,000 from 2020/21 school year. This is in addition to a significant reduction in class teachers sizes at primary level over three budgets to where our Pupil to Teacher Ratio at primary level is now 23:1.

This means, more than ever, children with SEN in our mainstream schools are best supported to meet their needs.

In addition the model will now be run annually in line with general teacher allocations. This allows schools to better plan their staffing structures and gives them time to arrange clusters in areas where schools share an SET teacher.

There has been a limited change to the method used to allocate SET to mainstream classes. This review involved extensive consultation and visits to schools by the NCSE to look at the strengths and shortcomings of the allocation model. The feedback has been incorporated into the revised model for 2024/25.

The review of the SET model focused on ensuring that we had the best possible data available to inform the distribution of resources to our schools.

Our policy relating to supporting all of our children in our schools based on their level of need remains.

The policy that individual schools are required to adhere to is the principle that the allocation is utilised to ensure that those pupils with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support and this remains unchanged.

Therefore the revised profiles are directly correlated to, and focused on, pupils with the greatest level of need in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

In relation to the specific school mention in your question, I would like to the advise that reduction of 2.5 hours relates to a change in the schools profile particularly due to a reduction in enrolments since last profile update.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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328. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the reduction of 2.5 special education teaching hours at a school (details supplied); the reasons for this reduction; the position regarding an additional accommodation application for two SEN classrooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10699/24]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I want to thank the Deputy for raising this issue.

The Special Education teaching allocation model for 2024/25 distributes the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need.

It seeks to distribute teaching resources in the fairest possible manner, taking into account quality, robust evidence in respect of individual schools.

This ensures that resources are in the right place at the right time to meet the needs of children in mainstream.

There will more Special Education Teachers in our schools in September 2024 than ever before – an increase of 1,000 from 2020/21 school year. This is in addition to a significant reduction in class teachers sizes at primary level over three budgets to where our Pupil to Teacher Ratio at primary level is now 23:1.

This means, more than ever, children with SEN in our mainstream schools are best supported to meet their needs.

In addition the model will now be run annually in line with general teacher allocations. This allows schools to better plan their staffing structures and gives them time to arrange clusters in areas where schools share an SET teacher.

There has been a limited change to the method used to allocate SET to mainstream classes. This review involved extensive consultation and visits to schools by the NCSE to look at the strengths and shortcomings of the allocation model. The feedback has been incorporated into the revised model for 2024/25.

The review of the SET model focused on ensuring that we had the best possible data available to inform the distribution of resources to our schools.

Our policy relating to supporting all of our children in our schools based on their level of need remains.

The policy that individual schools are required to adhere to is the principle that the allocation is utilised to ensure that those pupils with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support and this remains unchanged.

Therefore the revised profiles are directly correlated to, and focused on, pupils with the greatest level of need in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

In relation to the specific school mentioned in your question, I would like to advise that the reduction of 5 hours relates to a change in the school's profile particularly due to a reduction in enrolments since last the profile update.

Ukrainian and International Protection students are supported through a separate allocation process and I would like to confirm that the school has also been allocated 7.5 additional temporary special education teacher hours under this scheme.

I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme.

The purpose of my Department’s ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.

The main focus of my Department’s resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. However, my Department is working towards an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock, with particular focus on climate action goals.

The application is currently in the final stages of assessment and when finalised the school authority will be contacted directly with a decision.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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329. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a child (details supplied) will be in a position to continue being educated at a school considering he or she has undertook early intervention at the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10703/24]

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).

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.

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

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 2024, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 744 teachers and 1,216 SNAs 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.

Over the last number of 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 almost 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the last four years.

My Department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, an analysis of available school accommodation, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

As a result of this forward planning, two new special schools have been established for this current school year in Cork and Dublin, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.

In December 2023, I was also very happy to announce with my colleague Minister Foley, the establishment of a further four new special schools for the 2024/25 school year in Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick. This will bring to 11 the number of new special schools established in recent years.

Along with the two new special schools opening this school year, 390 new special classes – 254 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this current school year.

Of these 3 are in Monaghan, 2 at primary and 1 at post-primary level. This brings to 42 the number of special classes in County Monaghan, 28 at primary level and 14 at post-primary level.

Enrolments to individual schools are a matter for each board of management.

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 special educational needs organisers (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: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.

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: www.ncse.ie/special-classes

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.

My Department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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330. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills , further to Parliamentary Question No. 276 of 20 February 2024, the number of post-primary schools that are currently without special classes; the number currently with fewer than four special classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10705/24]

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).

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.

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

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 2024, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 744 teachers and 1,216 SNAs 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.

Over the last number of 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 almost 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the last four years.

My Department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, an analysis of available school accommodation, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

As a result of this forward planning, two new special schools have been established for this current school year in Cork and Dublin, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.

In December 2023, I was also very happy to announce with my colleague Minister Foley, the establishment of a further four new special schools for the 2024/25 school year in Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick. This will bring to 11 the number of new special schools established in recent years.

Along with the two new special schools opening this school year, 390 new special classes – 254 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this current school year.

There are currently 722 mainstream post-primary schools nationwide, of these 420 have at least one special class, 92 have 3 special classes and 35 have four or more special classes. Planning for special classes for the 2024/25 school year is currently underway.

As demand 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 have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.

My Department has communicated to all post-primary schools of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools will be required to provide special classes over the next 2 to 4 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.

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 special educational needs organisers (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: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list

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: www.ncse.ie/special-classes

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.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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331. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she could ensure that a school (details supplied) which is losing an SET teacher is included in the review process, and if she will restore complex needs as a requirement in allocating teachers. [10715/24]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I want to thank the Deputy for raising this issue.

The Special Education teaching allocation model for 2024/25 distributes the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need.

It seeks to distribute teaching resources in the fairest possible manner, taking into account quality, robust evidence in respect of individual schools.

This ensures that resources are in the right place at the right time to meet the needs of children in mainstream.

There will more Special Education Teachers in our schools in September 2024 than ever before – an increase of 1,000 from 2020/21 school year. This is in addition to a significant reduction in class teachers sizes at primary level over three budgets to where our PTR at primary level is now 23:1.

This means, more than ever, children with SEN in our mainstream schools are best supported to meet their needs.

In addition the model will now be run annually in line with general teacher allocations. This allows schools to better plan their staffing structures and gives them time to arrange clusters in areas where schools share an SET teacher.

There has been a limited change to the method used to allocate SET to mainstream classes. This review involved extensive consultation and visits to schools by the NCSE to look at the strengths and shortcomings of the allocation model. The feedback has been incorporated into the revised model for 2024/25.

The review of the SET model focused on ensuring that we had the best possible data available to inform the distribution of resources to our schools.

Our policy relating to supporting all of our children in our schools based on their level of need remains.

The policy that individual schools are required to adhere to is the principle that the allocation is utilised to ensure that those pupils with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support and this remains unchanged.

Therefore the revised profiles are directly correlated to, and focused on, pupils with the greatest level of need in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

In relation to the specific school mentioned in your question, I would like to advise that the school continues to have 8 fulltime SET teachers posts as before and the part time hours have reduced by 15 hours which relates to a change in the schools profile particularly due to a reduction in enrolments since the last profile update.

I would like to clarify that complex needs have not been removed but the data is no longer coming from the HSE but from education related sources.

At primary, the Educational Teaching needs profile is calculated based on educational outcome (STen) data which are collected and held within schools and submitted to the Department of Education. At post primary, the data used is Junior Cycle results. Hence, the profiles are directly correlated to, and focused on, pupils with the greatest level of teaching need in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

In addition, to ensure children with the greatest level of educational need are addressed by the model all pupils who are marked as exempt (approx. 1% of the population) are included as STen 1 to ensure that the school receives an allocation to support them. STen 1 & 2 scores (including exempted) would align in general to pupils in our education system who are in need of the greatest level of teaching support.