Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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265.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SENO vacancies currently in north Cork. [24688/24]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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266.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SENOs in north Cork and their allocated caseload, by SENO. [24689/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together.

It is a priority that the NCSE is properly resourced to have a visible and effective presence in our schools and to guide and support our parents and children on their educational journey. 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, an additional 47. As the NCSE recruits additional SENOs, they are progressively altering the current team structure, from a regional to a county basis with an assigned number of SENOs for each county.

Recruitment is ongoing across a range of grades and there are now 88 SENOs and 17 team managers in place nationally, more than ever before in the NCSE, with a further 32 SENOs starting in the coming months.

The NCSE transition from a regional team-based structure to a county-based structure means an increase from 10 SENO teams to 20 SENO teams. These are multidisciplinary teams which also include, team managers, therapists, and specialist leads. Under this new structure Cork County will have 18 SENOs, with 9 in place, a further 8 commencing and an active recruitment competition currently underway for the final 1 SENO. SENOs operate on a team basis and services are maintained through cover provided from available staffing resources. Should any vacancy arise, a SENO point of contact is assigned to the area to assist schools, parents, and local services. The regional contact list of SENOs is available on the NCSE website to provide the details of SENOs covering their area.

The distribution of the 496 schools in Cork is allocated to the existing teams and caseloads are based on the number of schools and their special education needs requirements. 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.

The new localised structure, which will see SENOs being assigned on a county basis, will be fully operational for the start of the new school year in September. In the meantime, it is a priority that new SENOs who are arriving to the NCSE will be getting out to meet their local schools as soon as possible to start working with school and families collaboratively so that children with special educational needs are supported. The NCSE will be communicating details of the new structure to schools and parents over the coming weeks.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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267.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of autism units currently operating in north Cork; and the amount of places available in each unit, in tabular form. [24690/24]

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).

Over 360 new special classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE for the 2024/25 school year. Of these, 65 are in Cork, 41 are at primary level and 24 at post-primary, this brings the total number of special classes in the county to 561. The vast majority of these are autism classes and have a teacher/student ratio of 1:6.

The attached table provides a breakdown of autism classes in County Cork and includes new classes sanctioned for the 2024/25 school year.

The NCSE expect to confirm some additional classes over the coming weeks to ensure that a sufficient level of provision is available to meet the needs of children. The NCSE are confident that through the provision of these classes and some vacancies in existing classes that there are sufficient places to meet the needs of children known to them for September 2024.

I have asked the NCSE to ensure classes are established as a matter of urgency and to keep all families seeking class places updated on an ongoing basis to ensure their children can access the provision to which they are entitled.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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268.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the need for additional space to safely accommodate ASD special classes at a school (details supplied); the resources that can be provided in order to open the ASD classes while addressing the schools issues with requiring additional learning support teachers, car parking spaces, a secure play area accessible from the classroom, adequate storage, a sensory area and an activities room with a daily living skills space connected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24692/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question.

The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or 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 consideration of the accommodation requirements for the school in question forms part of the Planning and Building Unit’s overall assessment of its work programme and priorities in the context of available capital funding.

I can assure the Deputy that the provision of required school places, including for children with special educational needs, is a priority for my Department and my officials are working to ensure that there is sufficient provision to meet the school place needs in the school in question and the wider School Planning Area for future years.

At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.

I am pleased to confirm that an offer of accommodation has been made and issued to the school for acceptance on the 10th of May 2024. This offer is for the Reconfiguration of 1 x Mainstream classroom to provide 1 x Special Educational classroom. A response to the offer has not yet been received from the school. My officials remain available to work with the school authorities in relation to this matter.

In relation to the other points raised by the Deputy, requests for additional learning support teachers should be directed to the relevant Teacher Allocations section in Athlone to determine the school entitlements.

I can confirm to the Deputy, that funding of €7,000 is made available by my Department's Loose Furniture & Equipment (F&E) Section for the provision of the start-up of a sensory room within a school. In order to be eligible for the grant, the school must demonstrate it has a National Council for Special Education (NCSE) approved ASD class and that there is a suitable room to house the sensory room. The sensory room must be a separate room from that of the ASD class and must have its own separate entry/exit. Only one Sensory room grant is funded by my Department’s per school.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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269.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a place in an ASD unit can be facilitated in the case of the son of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24694/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I understand that this is an anxious time for parents who are seeking a school place for their child for September and I would like to assure the Deputy that this government is determined to alleviate the pressures faced by parents when seeking a special educational placement.

In relation to the child referred to by the Deputy, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised my department that they are currently enrolled on early years Home Tuition for the school year 2023/2024. The Special Education Needs Officer (SENO) has been in ongoing engagement with the family and is providing information in relation to accessing a primary special class for the 2024/2025 school year or 2025/2026 school year. The NCSE has also provided information in relation to Early Intervention classes which support pre-school children with autism.

My department and the NCSE work closely in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places, work which is close to finalisation for the 2024/25 school year.

In relation to places for the coming 2024/2025 school year, the NCSE have sanctioned just over 350 new special classes.

I have asked the NCSE to ensure classes are established as a matter of urgency and to keep all families seeking class places updated on an ongoing basis to ensure their children can access the provision to which they are entitled.

I referenced earlier that this government is committed to alleviating the pressures faced by parents seeking a special educational placement.

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 and provide effective structures to relieve pressure on 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.