Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Special Needs Assistant Service.

Mr. Naughten: I thank the Chair for giving me the opportunity to raise this important issue. I am disappointed that there is not a representative of the Department of Education and Science in the person of the Minister or one of the two Ministers of State, given that there are two Adjournment motions on educational topics.

The background to the issue is that FÁS has informed St. Michael's school in Castlerea that the community employment scheme will cease at the end of the year. St. Michael's school will not be in a position to replace personal assistants through the Department of Education and Science. The Department employs personal assistants only to support teachers in the classroom, so extracurricular work will not be able to continue.

The children attending St. Michael's benefit greatly from the support of CE schemes and it would be a major loss if these were to cease. For many years the special school in Castlerea employed six personal assistants through the community employment scheme. However, FÁS has made it clear that it is not prepared to renew the contract in January 2002. What is required is a policy decision by the Minister for Education and Science to provide further support from 2002 by providing two additional full-time personal assistants. The school caters for 37 children. Without aid it would not be able to provide extracurricular activities for pupils. This would dramatically reduce the amount of attention each pupil receives within the classroom. In the long run, therefore, the investment would be extremely cost effective and should be given immediate priority.

St. Michael's school provides a range of additional activities which have a very positive impact on its pupils. Many activities which have been found to be extremely valuable require additional staff. Volunteers do not know the children and can cause distress to the pupils. Without additional support, the following activities would effectively cease: swimming – 15 children need considerable help in drying themselves and undressing; horse riding – insurance demands that six adults be present for every two children on horses; work experience – the school tries to ensure that every child over the age of 16 has a chance to get work experience and special projects such as setting up a second-hand shop, arts projects, integration programmes, gardening competitions and the Special Olympics would all have to be withdrawn if this investment is not provided.

The school deals with many challenging children with various disabilities. It serves a large part of County Roscommon and the adjoining counties, including the Minister's constituency. There are many challenges, including medical and learning difficulties. Other priorities include: six children within the junior class who are not toilet trained; 33 pupils in need of self-training such as learning to dress, wash and shower themselves; 12 pupils in the senior range who are in need of basic survival training, such as crossing the road, using telephones and community involvement; six pupils of senior age who need pre-vocational training for job opportunities.

The community employment scheme has had a major impact within the school. For example, one Down's syndrome boy with a bowel condition and skin irritation was so bad that he could only sit on a pillow. Having frequent sessions and constant monitoring through the support of the CE participants has meant that this child can actually go out and play in the yard. Another child from a severely disadvantaged background was left at home with no service for six years and needed help even to walk, to go to the toilet, wash, dress and eat. She had often come to school without eating, washing, changing her clothes or going to the toilet. Her needs have to be met at a very basic level before her educational requirements can even be considered.

I hope this gives the Minister some insight into the type of work and challenges which the staff in St. Michael's school face every day. We have succeeded in ensuring that the service will be maintained until January 2002. However, I am seeking a commitment from the Department of Education and Science that it will support this service from January 2002. I ask the Minister of State to ensure that the Minister for Education and Science immediately takes action in relation to this, that there is a policy decision to support such services in special schools and that a commitment will be given from 1 January 2002 that those extracurricular activities are maintained in St. Michael's special school. I ask the Minister of State to ensure that the Minister for Education and Science comes down to see the service for himself. If he takes that opportunity, I am sure the additional appointments will be made.

Dr. Moffatt

I thank Deputy Naughten for raising this issue on the Adjournment. Let me outline the current position on this matter.

The Department of Education and Science involvement in the provision of special needs assistant posts to schools has a very specific focus. It is confined to the allocation of such posts to support class teachers in catering for in-school needs of children with a disability. The special needs assistant service does not extend to activities undertaken by schools outside of school hours and should not be viewed as a substitute for support previously provided under FÁS schemes.

The role of special needs assistants includes: giving general assistance to class teachers under the direction of the principal teacher; preparing and tidying the classroom; assisting children to board and alight from school buses and, where necessary, travelling as an escort on school buses; giving special assistance to children with particular difficulties such as feeding, toileting and general hygiene.

In October 1998, the Government decided that all children with special needs within the primary school system, including special schools, should have an automatic entitlement to the support they require to enable them to function successfully within the education system. As a result of this decision, the number of special needs assistants in the primary school system has grown from fewer than 300 in October 1998 to more than 1,700 at present.

The school to which the Deputy refers caters for pupils with a moderate general learning disability. It also has two classes for children with severe to profound general learning disability and two classes for children with autism. The school has a current allocation of ten special needs assistant posts. This includes two additional posts which were recently allocated to the school in line with the recent announcement of a package of measures to improve support services for children with autism. The package also included proposals to extend education services for children with autism through the month of July and the development of a nation-wide pre-school service for children with autism.

The level of special needs assistant support provided by the Department of Education and Science to schools catering for children with special needs, including the school to which the Deputy refers, reflects the level of such support recommended by the Special Education Review Committee which specified particular support rates for each disability group. The Department will consider any application for an increased level of special needs assistant support where the in-school needs of the pupils involved warrant such an increase.