Vol. 564 No. 5
215 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the grave concerns of parents in relation to psychological reports for their children being referred to NEP and the high rate of rejections in regard to such reports; the number of applications referred during the past year; the number where the recommendations were rejected; if he is satisfied with those figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10054/03]
As the Deputy is aware, a review was carried out by the national educational psychological service, NEPS, and covered a total of 788 applications from schools for resource teacher and-or special needs assistant support received by my Department between 21 October and 8 November 2002. The applications in question involved a total of 1,590 individual pupils in respect of whom support was sought.
Of the 1,590 pupils involved, the review concluded that the applications in respect of 948 – 60% – of these pupils conformed to departmental circulars and the resources sought in these cases have been sanctioned. Deficiencies were identified in the remaining 642 cases. Where possible in such cases, NEPS made a recommendation as to the nature and level of the resources that should be provided and such resources have been sanctioned. However, in some cases, for example, where the school was unable to produce the relevant assessment report, no recommendation for resources could be made.
The procedures which schools are required to follow in applying for the supports in question involve the completion of a standard application form in respect of each child and a summary application form covering all the children included in the school's application. The individual pupil form requires particulars of the child's name, address, age, category of disability under Circular 08/02 and the nature and level of the supports being sought in respect of the child. The summary application form requires particulars of the overall number of pupils in respect of whom support is sought, the total supports being sought in respect of those pupils and the total resources already sanctioned at the school to address special needs.
Where an application seeks the allocation of resources on a shared basis with other schools, particulars of those schools is sought. The summary application form contains a declaration by the school principal confirming that the application has been discussed with the parents-guardians of the children and that their consent has been obtained to apply for the support being sought; the application is supported by the chairperson of the school's board of management; in making the application, full regard has been had to any support services already allocated to the school; the application is based on relevant assessment reports presented in respect of the pupils in question and available for inspection by the Department; where a shared post arrangement is proposed, the authorities of the other participating schools are in agreement with the proposal.
The main deficiencies identified in the NEPS review related to situations where the level of support sought in respect of individual pupils in a particular disability category did not conform to the support levels identified in the circulars as applicable to the disability category in question, and circumstances in which the relevant assessment reports required to support the application were not available at the school for inspection by NEPS.
