Brendan Howlin
Question:196 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the provision which is being made to cater for the special educational needs of unaccompanied minors who have applied for asylum. [5273/01]
Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.
The Department of Education and Science does not differentiate between national and non-national children, whether they are refugees, asylum seekers or other non-nationals, attending primary or post-primary schools. All non-national pupils are included in the total enrolment of a school for the purpose of capitation grants, free books and other grants on the same basis as Irish pupils.
Additional support is made available to primary and post-primary schools catering for non-national pupils who have significant English language deficits. Schools with 14 or more such non-national pupils are granted an additional temporary teaching post for up to two school years. Primary schools where three to 13 such non-national pupils are enrolled may apply to my Department for grant assistance towards the provision of teaching resources for the pupils.
At second level where the number of such non-national pupils enrolled is between one and six, the school may be provided with an additional teaching allocation of two hours per week for each pupil up to a maximum of ten hours per week. The allocation for non-national pupils over six in number would generally be based on one and half hours per week for each pupil.
Schools eligible for an additional teacher under these provisions will receive a start-up grant of £500 with a top-up grant of £250 in each successive year.