John Perry
Question:44 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of additional teachers and care assistants allocated to pupils with special education needs. [25890/98]
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
I have allocated an additional 26 resource teachers and 60 remedial teachers with effect from September 1998. There is now a total of 104 resource teachers and 1,302 remedial teachers in the primary system.
In addition, I recently announced a major new initiative in the special education area. This initiative is specifically designed to ensure that all children who have been assessed as having a special educational need will receive the support they require.
A key element in this initiative is the introduction of a formalised system of special support for all children attending national schools on a fully integrated basis who have been assessed as having a special education need. Such support may take the form of extra teaching or child care support or both, depending on the assessed needs of the individual child.
Arising from these new developments, my Department has already allocated a total of 104 additional child care assistant posts. The total number of child care posts now sanctioned by my Department is 402.
My Department is currently considering all applications for either teaching or child care support in the context of my recent announcement on developments in special education services. I expect that further allocations of teaching and child care support will continue to take place through 1999.