Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 21 May 2003

Vol. 567 No. 2

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

John Bruton

Question:

184 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the initiatives his Department affords to students who have been offered placements in specialist schools outside of Ireland but whose parents cannot afford to pay for their full-time care in the school; if there is grant assistance available or other revenue incentives for the parents of special needs children who cannot obtain the care they need here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13879/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

Up to October 1998, my Department's capacity to respond to individual children with special needs was limited. This changed with a Government decision in October 1998 whereby children assessed as having special educational needs in primary schools have an automatic entitlement to a response to their needs.

Since this automatic entitlement to support was introduced, the number of resource teachers in the primary system has increased from approximately 100 to 2,300 and the number of special needs assistants has grown from approximately 300 to 4,062 full-time and a further 1,177 part-time posts.

The nature and level of the educational response is based on the professionally assessed needs of each individual child. While my Department's policy is to ensure the maximum possible integration of children with special needs into ordinary mainstream schools, students who have been assessed as having special educational needs have access to a range of special support services. The services range from special schools dedicated to particular disability groups, through special classes-units attached to ordinary schools, to placement on an integrated basis in ordinary schools, with special back-up supports. The response will normally take the form of resource teacher or special needs assistant support, or both, depending on the level of need involved.

In some cases the level of special need involved may be such as to require placement in a special class attached to a mainstream school. The number of special classes has grown from 350 to more than 500 since 1998. Each such class is dedicated to a particular disability category and operates at a significantly reduced pupil teacher ratio. Children attending these special classes also attract special increased rates of capitation funding and are entitled to avail of the special school transport service.

Children with special needs attending mainstream schools may also require access to special equipment to assist them in their education. The funding allocation in this area has grown from €671,000 in 1998 to a current figure of €3.8 million.

In addition to maintaining the ongoing development of these services, I am taking steps to ensure that the necessary arrangements are put in place for an efficient and effective system for service delivery. A key development in this regard has been the decision to establish the National Council for Special Education. The council, which will have a local area presence, will play a key role in the development and delivery of services for persons with special needs. It will also have a research and advisory role and will establish expert groups to address particular areas of special needs provision. It will also establish a consultative forum to facilitate inputs from the education partners and other interested parties. Arrangements for the establishment of the council are now well advanced. A chief executive was appointed recently to the council and it is intended that the council will be vested shortly.

I also intend to bring forward legislation, based on the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill, to clarify the rights and entitlements of persons with disabilities to an education service and to put in place the necessary framework to deliver the required services. My objective would be to secure the passage of this legislation through the Oireachtas before the summer recess.

I am confident that the measures which I have outlined will ensure that all children with special needs receive the support they require to enable them to gain maximum benefit from the education system.

It is only in exceptional cases that my Department considers an educational placement outside the country as being necessary. In general, the care needs of children within an education context are met through the special needs assistant service.