Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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306. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she can intervene to assist a child (details supplied) in securing a place in secondary education, having moved to Ireland from the UK in August 2023; if she will ensure that children with autism are not excluded from education due to a lack of available school places; the steps her Department can take to support families in this situation, given that Tusla has not yet provided adequate assistance despite ongoing engagement; if she will ensure that this child is placed in an appropriate school with the necessary supports, including access to an SNA; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4537/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my department. TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme and the School Completion Programme (SCP). The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, parents and guardians and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people.

Referrals to the EWS may be made throughout the school year. A referral for a child without a school place is prioritised by the EWS and an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) is assigned immediately to support families who are in this situation. It will remain an open case until such time as a school place is offered and accepted.

TESS has confirmed that the child in question is an open and allocated case to the service. An EWO is following up to support this parent in securing a school place for their child.

The Home Tuition Grant Scheme is available to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. Home tuition is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not currently available. I am advised the child in question is currently not in receipt of home tuition.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has recently recruited additional Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs), advisors and team managers. 120 SENOs now operate nationwide and play an important role in ensuring there is adequate special educational provision within local areas. They are currently visiting schools to conduct planning meetings. Over 1,000 school planning visits have occurred in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided. It is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year in the coming weeks.

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into schools. They help ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. SNAs are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/boards of management deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the children enrolled. This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

The NCSE have published the SNA allocations for the 2024/25 school year. For ease of reference these allocations are broken down by school type and are available on the NCSE's . If a school considers it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students, an application can be submitted to the NCSE requesting a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's . Each case is individually assessed and is based on the student profile of each school. The timeframe for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided.

Following the outcome of the review, the NCSE can make a local SENO available to the school to discuss the current deployment of SNA supports in the school. NCSE in-school support is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.