Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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73. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will respond to specific concerns raised by persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24149/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The correspondence referred to by the Deputy raises a number of issues.

In respect of supports for the school involved, I have asked my Department officials to share the contents of your email with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to ensure that this school is provided with any additional supports it may require. The NCSE Support Service manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training need.

This service provides a range of Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) designed in line with the Cosán Framework of the Teaching Council and consists of seminars, post seminar workshops, cluster supports, communities of practice and in school support visits. A range of these TPL modules are centred on the guidance provided though my department's 'Autism Good Practice Guidance for Schools' publication which is designed to help school leader's teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and other school staff respond to the needs of students with autism.

Teacher's have a clear pathway to further develop their professional learning through the NCSE seminars and teachers are further supported through funding provided by my department via the NCSE to complete a variety of training programmes. These programmes focus on special education and range from whole staff training for schools to post graduate programmes for teachers at Master and PHD level.

The NCSE provide specific training annually to schools opening new special classes. In addition, the NCSE advisors provide in-school supports to primary, post-primary and special schools tailored to meet the needs of individual schools with specialist training provided where required to teachers and SNAs through the Middletown Centre for Autism.

Detailed information on the comprehensive programme of TPL seminars, postgraduate opportunities and on a variety of other special educational needs training supports is available on the NCSE website.

Significant additional resources and funding of €13 million have been allocated to the NCSE to allow for the expansion of its services, which will bolster the level of service it delivers to schools and parents.

This funding has allowed for, among other things, a significant increase in the number of SENOs which will increase from 73 to 120 by next September. These SENOs will work closely with children, their families and schools on the ground in order to provide the necessary supports.

Additional administrative support staff, team managers and other professionals are also being employed to allow SENOs concentrate on working directly with schools and families.

Another issue relates to school accommodation. The school was approved a school building project under my department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The project will provide two special education classes, two mainstream classrooms, and a technical graphics room. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.

Separately, my department recently granted approval for construction of a special educational needs modular classroom which is expected to reach practical completion later this year. This accommodation will help alleviate the immediate pressures on the school pending the delivery of the larger project.