Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 5

Special Educational Needs.

Mr. Stanton

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for letting me raise this matter and I thank the Minister of State for coming in to address the issue.

This is a matter of national importance. There are many students in special needs schools and much good work is being done with them in those schools. It is Government policy, however, to assist and encourage the integration of special needs students, where possible, into mainstream primary schools. This is causing a problem where the policy exists, but there is no support on the ground. I submitted questions on the matter on 29 November 2002 and 29 January 2003. On both occasions the Minister for Education and Science told me that there are issues regarding the concept of dual enrolment but that no decisions had been taken on these matters. I am here to urge the Minister of State to move as quickly as possible to sort out these important issues for special children. The Minister is personally concerned with this and I know his heart is in the right place.

These children attend primary schools on a wing and a prayer. Grace and favour is involved but they should be able to attend these schools as of right. Procedures should be in place whereby principals of primary schools know how they are to react to and support these children. Capitation, school transport, insurance and staffing must be sorted out.

If it is Government policy that integration should occur, I challenge the Minister of State and the Minister for Education and Science to act. They should start work immediately to sort out the issue. Many special needs children and their parents are under stress without extra pressure being put on them. They do not know from one day to the next if the child will be allowed into the school. I am not blaming the teachers because they are also under pressure when special needs children attend – they also need support.

Dual enrolment is vitally important if there is to be integration. It is not possible for a child to be enrolled in two schools at one time and if special needs children are to be integrated this should be Government policy. The Minister must put the procedures in place, issue the circulars and directives and make available the necessary resources to allow this to occur without further delay.

I hope the Minister of State will not just read out a script that has been prepared but that he will put his personal stamp on this.

Mr. B. Lenihan

I make this reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Dempsey. The issues raised by the Deputy are very important and while the reply I will deliver does not add a great deal to what he has said, it is important that the issue has been raised. The Minister is aware of the issues to which the Deputy refers and the potential benefits which a dual enrolment arrangement might afford to certain children with special needs as part of their transition from the special school system to mainstream schools.

Children with special educational needs may transfer from special schools to special classes attached to ordinary primary schools or to ordinary classes where they may attend on a fully integrated basis with the support of the resource teacher and special needs assistant service. In considering such transfers, it is important to have regard to the professionally assessed needs of the child involved and his or her capacity to function successfully in the more integrated setting.

The concept of dual enrolment, however, raises a range of practical issues which require careful consideration, as the Deputy has fairly conceded. These issues relate to such matters as the manner in which staffing and funding resources allocated in respect of such children should be apportioned between two schools catering for the same pupil for limited periods. Issues relating to capitation funding and entitlement to special transport services also arise. While no decisions have yet been made on these issues, the matter is under consideration in the Department and I am hopeful that progress can be made to facilitate the needs of the children concerned.