Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Assistive Technology Scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes.

All equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment.

It must be clear that the existing I.T. equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs. Where necessary, schools may also purchase new or additional equipment or software for students from normal school resources or funds.

The Assistive Technology Scheme is provided by my Department to supplement the overall approach to providing funding to schools for digital technology and equipment to support children for education purposes. Assistive technology can be seen as a critical enabler for those with special educational needs to gain the maximum benefit from a modern technologically focused education system. Where children with more complex disabilities require essential specialist equipment to access the school curriculum, which they do not already have, or which cannot be provided for them through the schools' existing provisions, schools may make an application for such equipment to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) under the terms of this scheme.

The NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology/specialised equipment is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support.

Schools make applications directly to the SENO, providing details of the student’s special educational needs or disability, including details of the approach taken by the school in making relevant interventions.

In order to qualify for equipment under the Assistive Technology Scheme, a student must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the student to access the curriculum.

SENOs will review the application, and professional reports provided in support of same, in order to establish whether the criteria of the scheme have been met. They will then make a recommendation to my Department as to whether or not assistive technology is required; and based on this recommendation, my Department will decide on the level of grant, if any, to be provided.

The type of equipment provided under the Assistive Technology Scheme is varied, and includes audiological supports for students with hearing impairment, braille equipment for children with visual impairment, and computer equipment with associated modified software for students with physical or severe communicative disabilities.

Communication devices or medical or therapy related devices which are not specific educational interventions or equipment specifically required as essential for school educational access, and which have a general application outside of school, are not provided for under the Assistive Technology scheme, however. Such equipment is normally provided for children with disabilities by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

An application for Assistive Technology was received by the Department on 12 December 2023 and a decision letter sanctioning equipment issued to the school on 26 February 2024. The SENO recommended all equipment requested by the school, apart from Dragon Naturally Speaking software. Officials from my department have contacted both the school principal and the SENO with the view to providing a positive outcome to this case.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Needs Organisers (SENOs), for fulfilling the functions of the Council in relation to the identification, delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with disabilities. The Council employs SENOs to provide a nationwide system of local services. Locally based SENOs consult widely with parents/guardians, teachers, health care professionals, school authorities, HSE and other relevant government agencies.

In Budget 2023, the government provided an additional €13 million for the expansion of services within the NCSE. This will mean an increase of up to 161 additional staff in the organisation, a workforce increase of 50%. As a result of the additional funding allocated to the NCSE, it is intended to increase the number of SENOs to approximately 120, from the previously sanctioned 73. They NCSE is progressively altering the current team structure, from a regional to a county basis with an assigned number of SENOs for each county.

The intake of new SENO grades has commenced and the recruitment process allows for training, induction, back-filling and the equitable distribution of cases on a county basis to new SENOs, without disrupting existing service to schools and children.

County Westmeath falls under North Team 1 which currently comprises of 6 SENOs, a team manager, regional manager and additional national support manager.

Parents are advised to consult the regional contact list on the NCSE website to ensure they have the most up-to-date contact details of their SENO, or the SENO covering for their area. The list gives the contact details for a local SENO in Westmeath, their office address, which is Government Buildings, Friar’s Mill Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, and also their e-mail address and phone number.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, 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 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 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education an increase of €113 million and this is 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 these children.

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 engages 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 addition, four new special schools will be established for the 2024/25 school year in counties 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, 391 new special classes – 255 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this current school year.

Of these 6 are in Westmeath, 4 at primary level and 2 at post-primary level. This brings to 59 the number of special classes in County Westmeath, 39 at primary level and 20 at post-primary level. The vast majority of these class are autism classes and have a teacher/pupil ratio of 1:6.

Planning for special classes and special school places in County Westmeath and nationwide is currently underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. The locations of the new classes will be confirmed by the NCSE shortly.

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 wrote to all post-primary schools requesting that each school begin planning to provide for up to four special classes to meet the needs of children progressing from primary school. The department and the NCSE continue to have engagement with post-primary school management bodies in relation to the provision of special classes.

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. 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 on the NCSE's website 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.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 342 and 343 together.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority 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 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million, and this is dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs. This will allow for, amongst other things, the opening of up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places.

My department engages closely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places.

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.

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.

As a result of 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 addition, four new special schools will be established for the 2024/25 school year in counties 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, 391 new special classes – 255 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE.

Of these, 72 are in Dublin, 49 at primary level and 23 at post-primary level. This brings to 535 the number of special classes in Dublin, 409 at primary level and 126 at post-primary level.

Planning for special classes and special school places is currently underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. The locations of the new classes will be confirmed by the NCSE shortly.

The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, requires that where a student has not been offered admission that the school provide the reasons in writing to the applicant, including where applicable their ranking against the selection criteria and place number on the waiting list.

Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal where a board of management, or a person acting on behalf of the board of management (normally the school principal) refuses to admit a student to a school. Where the decision to refuse admission is due to the school being oversubscribed, a review of the decision by the board of management must be sought in the first instance. Following a review it is open to the parent to appeal to the independent appeals committee.

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. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise the parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE's website at: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list

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.