Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 Mar 2017

Vol. 942 No. 1

National Educational Psychological Service: Motion [Private Members]

Deputy Thomas Byrne

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

recognises that:

— the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is drastically understaffed, with 95,543 primary and post-primary pupils across 397 schools without access to an assigned NEPS psychologist;

— even for schools that do officially have an assigned NEPS psychologist, access to a psychological assessment for a developmental or behavioural issue is unacceptably long, creating adverse effects on children’s education and reducing access to resource teaching hours and learning supports, and privileging households that have the resources to opt for private assessment;

— there are serious inequities and defects in the current allocation of resource teachers and learning support across schools; and

— there is a serious shortage of special Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes at post-primary level, with less than half (45 per cent) the number of classes available at primary level; overall there are 548 ASD classes at primary and just 237 at post-primary, and there is also a severe shortage of ASD classes at pre-school level, with only 127 classes available throughout the country;

acknowledges that:

— while the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has proposed a reformed system, whereby access to resource teaching would no longer rely upon a formal diagnosis of learning difficulty, emotional or behavioural problems, there are legitimate concerns over aspects of the proposed new allocation model for resource teaching and learning supports that need to be addressed;

— the absence of special ASD classes in secondary schools is a national travesty and is creating real discrimination against children with ASD, and a much greater sense of urgency is required to ensure that these children can claim their entitlement to education by gaining admission to an appropriate school; and

— the outlawing of ‘soft barriers’ in the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016, to children with autism being admitted to school is insufficient to deal with the scale of the crisis; and

calls on the Government to:

— give a firm commitment that no child with assessed special education needs will be deprived of resource teaching or learning supports under the new allocation model and that schools will have additional provisions made available for students who start school from September 2017, with a specific diagnosis, either in junior infants or transferring from another school;

— bestow the NCSE with statutory powers to direct schools at primary and post-primary level to establish autism units and/or special classes where these are required in an area; and

— act on the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to increase the number of NEPS psychologists by at least 65 with the goal of reducing the ratio of students to each psychologist in real terms.

Táimid anseo anocht chun an rún seo a phlé maidir leis an Seirbhís Náisiúnta Síceolaíochta Oideachais. Táimid ag plé an easpa siceolaithe atá sa tír seo faoi láthair agus an ganntanas atá ann sa mhéid atá de dhíth ó na páistí beaga ar scoil. Is éard atá ag teastáil uathu agus is éard is gá a bheith acu ná an tseirbhís siceolaíochta seo.

This motion concerns the severe lack of educational psychologists. What is happening to our children today is outrageous and scandalous. There are 95,000 children in schools without any access whatsoever to an educational psychologist. Officially they are told they have no access to a psychologist. There are many tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of others who have extremely limited access to a psychologist. The National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, is drastically understaffed and the needs of children in education are not being addressed. This has been allowed to go on for too long.

The Government's four-year education plan has a modest ambition which has been reduced in the 2017 action plan, yet even with that modest plan nothing is happening. We have been contacted by psychologists who would love to work in the service and simply do not know what is happening in the recruitment process. The Minister for Education and Skills might perhaps clarify that.

There is a serious problem in respect of support for children with special needs. The Minister and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, have attempted to address that with a new model to come forward next September. Our party and others have engaged with the NCSE because we have many worries about the new system. These worries have not been allayed by the publication of the circular yesterday. In fact our worries about the new model of resource allocation are enhanced by its publication. The first is that a procedure and formula will be worked out with NEPS for the calculation of the complex needs in place. Nothing has been done yet and that needs to be addressed urgently because teachers do not know how the complex needs of the children in their schools will be addressed under this new model.

The second is that the appeals system is to be decided. There is no appeal system for schools that do not have sufficient resources or individual children who will be left without resources. No detail is given in the circular. That reminds us of the procedure under delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS. There is no right to a second chance.

The situation of special classes at primary and secondary levels is a scandal. It is improving at primary level with an increase in the number of special classes. At second level, however, a child falls over a cliff because the service is not in place. That is wrong. It must stop and some effort must be made to address the situation urgently. Each child with special needs has a different need. Some will have to go to special schools, some need special support in mainstream schools, while others will have to go to special classes, but each child, with or without special needs, has a constitutional right to primary education and a statutory right to second level education. The Government must uphold these rights by providing the supports that are needed.

The Government has published legislation and there is not much urgency about it. All sides of this House would be quite willing to push through the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill as quickly as possible, particularly in respect of the baptism barrier and special needs. The Minister has proposed that schools would be forced to accept children with special needs because we know there are soft barriers in some areas to accepting children with special needs. He has said the NCSE can designate a school for a child but he has not committed to giving the NCSE the power to demand that a school provide a special class. I and most Members of this House believe the NCSE should have that power and there are those among the Minister's advisers who also believe that. There are people within the Department of Education and Skills, however, who do not want that power to be bestowed on the NCSE. We will not support the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 if that power is not in the legislation. It is the right thing to do to ensure children's constitutional rights to a primary education and their rights to a free education at second level are given to them in a practical way. We have to get serious about the right of children with special needs to an education, to be a part of our society, with the benefit of education that we all have, in accordance with their needs. This must be in the legislation and I would say that would be the settled view of the House. The baptism barrier can be dealt with through separate legislation and we will support that Bill too, an area where we hope for reform.

Sinn Féin has tabled an amendment to this motion and there is nothing in it that contradicts our motion.

It expands on our motion to some extent and refers to the appeals system, which is certainly within the scope of the motion, and mentions the need for more NEPS psychologists. The Sinn Féin amendment argues that the 15% cut needs to be restored, which is something Fianna Fáil wishes to be able to achieve in the context of upcoming budgets. It is certainly something we will be pushing for. While we can certainly discuss the amendment tabled by Sinn Féin, my strong view is that it does not contradict anything in our motion. I think we are all on the same page with regard to what we want to do for children with special needs. I think everybody in the House should be on the same page in this instance. The Opposition's job is to put pressure on the Government to ensure this happens.

There are practical things we can do. I have been asked in media interviews about the cost of increasing the number of NEPS psychologists. A good response to such questions is to accept that there might be financial implications and to ask what price should be put on our children's education. From a fiscal point of view, a limited amount of money has already been provided under the education action plan, which means that the recruitment of extra NEPS psychologists would have no financial implications. We have been told that a small number of psychologists will be recruited this year. I am saying clearly that the Minister should get on with the job of making sure that recruitment happens and that psychologists are employed. They need to be able to go about their work of assessing children with special needs and thereby giving them an opportunity to participate fully in the education system. This is about the constitutional right of Irish citizens to an education. If someone in officialdom is sitting back on the recruitment process, it is up to the Minister to speed matters up and get that person's act together because children will suffer in the meantime.

I ask the Minister to introduce an amendment to the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 that has been sought by Fianna Fáil and others, including professionals involved in this area, to direct schools to provide special classes where necessary. I do not believe that power would ever be exercised by the national council, but it would be enough to ensure schools that are reluctant to provide special classes, particularly at secondary level, have something of an incentive in legislation to make such provision. I accept that many schools provide such classes.

I commend this motion to the House. I urge Deputies to support it. As my party leader and the Taoiseach agreed yesterday, there is a need to ensure that in 20 years' time we do not look back and wonder where we went wrong. We must not be asking ourselves then why we did not serve the rights of our children properly 20 years earlier, as people said and identified at the time.

Deputy Lisa Chambers

This motion, which seeks to ensure no child will be deprived under the new system, places the wider issue of early intervention services and access to educational psychologists at the heart of the debate. The Government is dealing with many crises in areas like health, housing and homelessness. It is also facing industrial relations unrest. I honestly believe the Minister, Deputy Bruton, is dealing with one of the biggest crises in the country. It is going very quietly because these children have such a low voice in society and their parents are so exhausted from fighting so hard to get basic services that they cannot even get around to lobbying on behalf of their children. I honestly think that when we look back 20 years from now, we will reflect on the fact that we deprived our children of access to educational psychologists and early intervention services, even though we knew that they needed such services and that such deprivation would have a long-term detrimental impact on their educational achievements and their future well-being, as a black mark on our State.

It is not clear how schools that require additional resources will be given those resources under the new assessment. We need to know exactly how the new system will operate so that we can identify any possible negative impacts on the children served by it. We have learned that every child with a special need is unique, as are his or her educational needs. The allocation of additional resources, such as teaching hours, to children with learning difficulties is often done on the basis of over-labelling of behavioural disorders. This does not help anybody. No child fits into a box set by a Department.

We are all aware of the serious inequalities in the current allocation of resource teaching hours. To be quite honest, this can be attributed to persistent failures on the part of the State. If a child is to gain additional resource teaching hours, a psychologist must make an assessment that he or she has a learning difficulty. Parents may seek such assessments privately or publicly. If they do this publicly, they will have to wait at least a year if not longer. Many parents who try to do this privately simply cannot afford the cost, which can be in excess of €1,000. It is generally well-off families that can afford to pay privately. It must be heartbreaking for parents on low incomes who know their children are being deprived and who understand the long-term impact on their children of not getting early intervention assessments and services, but cannot do anything about it.

I can only imagine what it is like to be a parent in such circumstances. Like many Deputies, I have met parents in this situation who have sat in front of me in tears because they cannot afford to pay privately for the assessments their children need in order to access the services they require. They are absolutely at their wits' end and exhausted. We often do not hear their voices because they do not have any energy left to fight and they have given up. We need to do all we can to ensure there is equality in our system and the necessary services are available for our children. The Minister is in charge of those services and is vested with the relevant powers. When we are looking back in 20 years' time, if we have to say our children did not get the services they need, the Minister, along with his predecessors and successors, will be asked to stand and answer.

Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

I thank my colleague, Deputy Thomas Byrne, for bringing this motion before the House. I commend him on his Trojan work in the education field. I want to praise the fantastic work of NEPS in promoting the social, emotional and education skills of pupils across the country. It is disappointing and maddening to see that the service is so understaffed. That 95,543 primary and post-primary pupils across 397 schools are without access to an assigned NEPS psychologist is a very serious issue. As a result of staffing issues, it is now normal for it to take over a year for students to be assessed for special educational needs, thereby delaying the putting in place of resource teaching and learning support structures.

I agree with the establishment of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes at post-primary level. There are 548 ASD classes at primary level but just 237 such classes at post-primary level. As a consequence, many pupils who have enjoyed the security of a specific ASD class in national school suddenly find themselves with nowhere to go in secondary school. There is also an exceptional shortage of preschool ASD classes. The lack of ASD classes in general is preventing many children from reaching their full potential. I urge Deputies to support the motion before the House.

Deputy Michael McGrath

I commend Deputy Thomas Byrne on introducing this motion on behalf of Fianna Fáil. I would like to focus on the entry point for children, for which the Department of Health and the HSE, rather than the Department of Education and Skills, are strictly responsible. The lack of real integration between the health and education authorities in dealing with special needs is part of the problem we are discussing. I would also like to focus on the assessment of need. Under the Disability Act 2005, an assessment of need must commence within three months of an application and must be completed within six months of that application being made. Those timelines are being consistently and flagrantly disregarded. The fact of the matter is that they are not being met by the HSE and the Department of Health.

There is nothing like an individual case to bring absolute clarity to an issue like this. I would like to highlight such a case. I could place the details of a different case on every single seat on the Government side of the Chamber. A young girl in my constituency was put on the waiting list for an assessment of need in September 2016. In November of that year, her parents became aware that the provisions of the Disability Act 2005 would not be met and the timeline would be breached. They were advised to make a complaint to the HSE on the understanding that if the complaint was upheld, the child's application could be prioritised on the waiting list. After they made the complaint in November 2016, they were advised that their daughter was No. 1,026 on the complaints waiting list. I am not talking about the waiting list to have the actual assessment done, but about the waiting list to have the complaint regarding the assessment dealt with. The parents were told at that time that the HSE complaints office was dealing with complaint No. 515 and that there was a five-month delay in responding to complaints.

On 1 March 2017, they requested an update on the complaint and were told the delay had increased from six to seven months from the date the complaint was received and the HSE was addressing complaint No. 569. The young child was No. 1,026. She is not a number but rather a young child waiting to be assessed in order to gain access to services so she can access an appropriate place in the education system. There is one person in the HSE responsible for administering these complaints and it is not uncommon in our part of the country for children to wait for a year for an assessment of need having gone through the full complaints process. We are told this is being addressed and the HSE is doing this, that and the other to deal with the matter but I am not seeing the evidence on the ground. In my ten years as a Deputy, I have never had so many inquiries and complaints from families about delays in getting an assessment of need.

At the end, if these people get an assessment, it is not as if there is a great array of services waiting for them, as, sadly, there is not. If they get diagnosed through a service provider, no one-to-one occupational therapy, speech and language therapy or physiotherapy is provided that I can see. At least it can allow these children to join a waiting list for an appropriate place in a special school or autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit that is part of a mainstream school. That is what the public diagnosis, as such, can do, but they are being denied that opportunity.

We have correctly seen outcry from the public and elected politicians in the past number of days arising from the revelations in Tuam. No doubt there will be further revelations elsewhere in the country about mother and baby homes. Let us consider what we are doing today, in 2017, when all the evidence tells us early intervention makes such a difference, leading to appropriate services being provided for children. It is a life-changing experience and if those children get an appropriate place in school and access to the correct services, it changes their life for the better. We are failing the children of Ireland with special needs and it is not good enough. As a country we should be ashamed of ourselves. This is our Tuam scandal of 2017 but we are in a position to do something about it. Let us act on it now.

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton)

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:

"recognises:

— the strong commitment of this Government and the last Government to the issues of student mental health and wellbeing, and special educational needs;

— that the Government’s commitment to special educational needs is evidenced in particular by the increase of the overall budget for special educational needs supports from €1.28 billion in 2011 to more than €1.5 billion now, with special educational needs accounting for approximately one fifth of the overall education budget, and corresponding improved outcomes for students;

— that the number of special classes has more than doubled, from 548 in 2011 to 1,153 across the country now, of which 889 are special Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes; that the number of special classes at post-primary level has doubled in the past three years and continues to rise rapidly;

— that the number of resource teachers has increased by more than 41%, from 5,265 in 2011 to over 7,500 now;

— that, since 2011, the number of Special Needs Assistants has increased by more than 22%, from 10,575 to 13,115; and

— that, since the previous Fine Gael-led Government took office in 2011, and despite an adverse economic climate, sanctioned National Educational Psychology Service (NEPS) staffing numbers have been maintained at the same levels, and NEPS now provides a service to an additional 20,000 pupils compared to 2011;

and calls on the Government to:

— restate its strong commitment to both the areas of special educational needs and student mental health and wellbeing, and the range of ambitious measures underway in these areas through the Action Plan for Education;

— give a firm commitment that no school and no student with special educational needs will lose resources as a result of moving to the new model of allocation of resource teaching, and above all that all students will see better outcomes as a result of its implementation;

— carefully evaluate the case before considering any legislative change to compel schools to open ASD units or special classes against their will as there should be convincing evidence that the school system in an area is failing to make provision for ASD students before any such move should be considered and any possible unintended consequences should be carefully examined, including the question of whether parents and students would be satisfied to attend a school which had been compelled to provide these services against its will;

— restate the commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government to deliver an additional 65 NEPS psychologists over the lifetime of this Government; and

— commits to the recruitment of a total of 21 educational psychologists by September 2017."

I welcome this debate, which is important, as Deputies have indicated. One of the goals I set in my Action Plan for Education is that within a decade we would have the best education and training service. One of the areas in which we set out to be best is the way in which we deal with young people who come to education either with a special need or with a disadvantage. Listening to the Deputies opposite, they gave a very inaccurate portrayal of what is happening. Since 2011, there has been a 41% increase in the number of resource teachers, or teachers for children with special educational needs. That equates to an additional 2,187 teachers for those children and we sought to vindicate their rights in a difficult time. There are 2,517 additional special needs assistants, SNAs, supporting children with special needs in our schools. Deputies mentioned ASD units and we have provided 601 additional units since 2011, an increase of 209%; in other words, we trebled the number of ASD units in the past five years for children with special needs. I am not saying everything in the garden is perfect but pretending we have done nothing in the area, as the Deputies have done, is very inaccurate and does not really serve the purpose we are here to address.

The point has been made that there is a more acute problem at second level. It is true to say second level ASD units have grown from a much lower base, although they have grown much faster. The growth in ASD units at second level has been almost 350%, meaning the number is almost four and a half times what it was. It equates to an additional 182 ASD units at second level. Taking the number of ASD units as a proportion of the children at second level, it is true their proportion when compared with those at primary level is only at approximately 70%. There are lower numbers in ASD units as a proportion of the second level school population but that reflects a growing transition where ASD units have entered into the system and are now moving to second level. I recognise that not every child who has been in an ASD unit at primary level necessarily will go on to second level but there is a very real commitment in the area. The additional 601 ASD units are a sign of real commitment.

We can also consider the building programme, which we have discussed during Question Time. There was an example in Kildare and I am sure there could be one in Cork as well. Not only do we have 59 ASD units in place in Kildare but there are three under construction and there are five in major building projects coming up the track. There is a very real commitment to roll out support in ASD units, as well as having other dimensions of support for children with special needs. As I stated, this is reflected very clearly in the numbers. Between SNAs and resource teachers there are approximately 4,700 additional people supporting those children. It is a real commitment and I certainly do not have to tell Deputy Michael McGrath that it was done in a difficult fiscal environment. The commitment has been very real.

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has told me that by and large it is satisfied with the availability of ASD units to meet needs but that is not to say there are not pockets with continuing problems, with Cork being one such area. We recognise there are problems. Deputy Mattie McGrath has drawn attention to problems in Clonmel and there are individual areas where I recognise there is a particular need. As with Deputy Thomas Byrne and others, I believe every school should accommodate children with special needs, regardless of their needs. It is already unlawful and as Deputies noted I am also seeking the power for the NCSE to direct a school to take a child.

I have an open mind on going beyond that. Deputy Byrne is correct in saying the approach of the Department has not been compulsion but rather, in the tradition of partnership with schools, it sought to develop ASD units through the NCSE by working with local schools and special educational needs organisers, SENOs. It has not been about taking a legal power to date. There are some genuine concerns that if we take a legal power and force schools to act, there is a question of how parents will feel about sending children to a particular school that in a sense has been compelled to take that child. That is not to say I have a closed mind on the issue and I will work with others to see how we can address the issue. We all have a shared belief that we need to ensure that where there is a need and where it is preferred that support for a child should be in a unit of this nature, we deliver it. There have been cases where schools have resisted the roll-out of ASD units, which is unacceptable. We must move away from that.

A number of Deputies raised concerns about the new model for allocation of resources. There are approximately 2,200 additional resource teachers and we are putting another 900 in this year, bringing the total to over 3,000. There are major merits in the new model and we have been very careful to ensure that it was first piloted in 47 areas. Deputies Michael McGrath and Lisa Chambers raised the issue of us moving away from the requirement to have this expensive diagnostic test, which has been a barrier for children, particularly in disadvantaged schools. This model will allocate to schools resources based on the profile of the school. Deputy Thomas Byrne is right to seek the assurance that it will guarantee that no school will lose out or be left short of support for children with complex needs within a school. That is guaranteed.

Deputy Michael McGrath rightly raised the issue of early intervention. It also means that instead of a child in a school waiting to have an assessment done and for resources to come, the school will be in a position immediately to provide resources for the child. Schools will be assigned resources to support children based on the profile of the school. The change also means that the resource teaching will follow the need in the school. Unlike the previous model, which spread a lot of the jam evenly across all schools, it will, over time, provide more resources to the schools with the greatest identified need. This is based on the literacy standards and whether there are complex needs.

This is a very positive dimension and it means that we are moving away from the counterproductive labelling of children. Schools are best placed to determine how to cope with learning needs, whether in group settings or withdrawn settings. Preferably, they would not be withdrawn settings. This is the other dimension of the model. It gives schools the capacity to manage resources as effectively as possible. I had the privilege of visiting schools which have run the pilot, and it has been transformative. Instead of children with special needs being withdrawn and handled differently, it has been an integrated model. It has benefited not just the children with special educational needs but the whole community of children who see that their class invites in and supports children with special needs.

The Deputy also raised concerns about the NEPS. I understand those concerns. This is one area which has not expanded in recent years. This year, we are recruiting 21 additional psychologists, 11 of whom will fill posts that have already been sanctioned and ten of whom will take up new posts. Under the programme for Government, we will seek an additional 55 posts. It is not true, as some have said, that schools which do not have assigned psychologists have no access to psychological assessments. Under a private psychologist scheme, we give them access to such assessments. The service has been stretched and it is right that we expand it. I want further expansion and I welcome the Deputies' support for it.

I am intensively engaged in trying to support children more effectively. We are rolling out a well-being programme at junior cycle. We are investing €3 million in professional upskilling support to teachers to roll it out. Every teacher in the programme will have 22 hours of additional time to plan and deliver it. As Deputy Thomas Byrne knows, we are restoring guidance counselling. Those are very important supports to the psychological well-being, strength and resilience of children in our schools. The programme we are rolling out is an important element of the entire picture of ensuring we make the learning environment for children who might struggle in school, for whatever reason, as good as possible.

Deputy Carol Nolan

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle as ucht an deis chun labhairt ar an ábhar fíor-thábhachtach seo a bhaineann le hoideachas speisialta. I thank Fianna Fáil for bringing forward the motion. While my party broadly supports the sentiment behind the motion, we have concerns with aspects of it.

As the rapporteur of the committee on the issue, I am well aware of the concerns in respect of the staffing of NEPS. As outlined in our amendment, 619 schools across the State do not have access to a NEPS psychologist for the purpose of carrying out an assessment. That is a shocking statistic, and it is there in black and white. We do not want a make-do system whereby a child might get through to a private service. We want a proper service in place for our children through NEPS. I am also aware of the constraints placed on schools seeking an assessment, given that only two assessments per 100 pupils are allowed, which is not enough.

This flies in the face of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act 2004, which gives a statutory right to children to receive assessments in a timely manner. The system means that children from privileged backgrounds who can afford to pay privately can, to all intents and purposes, bypass the system and receive an assessment and diagnosis. While I recognise that the sentiment behind the new resource allocation model is to ensure resources can be allocated without an assessment, there is a clear need to increase the capacity of the NEPS in keeping with the EPSEN Act and all it stands for.

The provision of an accurate assessment is important. From a teaching and planning point of view it is vital. It provides schools, parents and even the children themselves with the information needed to adequately support them in fulfilling their right to a high-quality education. In my experience as a learning support teacher and as an acting principal, an assessment and identification of a child's needs can often be a huge source of comfort and reassurance to the parents and the child. It can explain the difficulties the child may be experiencing. Surely their self-esteem is worth protecting. It reassures the child that it is not his or her fault and I have seen many instances in which the self-esteem and confidence of children has improved significantly as a result of a diagnosis. In that context, the development of the conversation regarding the so-called labelling of children has been very negative and unhelpful. If a person has a medical condition, surely that individual wants to know about it so he or she can manage it. This is no different. It is a positive way forward for children and their families.

If there are situations in which children are being misdiagnosed, they need to be addressed. However, this has not been my experience. As we know, due to the lack of capacity in the context of early intervention and school-age mental health and disability teams, obtaining an assessment and diagnosis of a child can be a very trying and frustrating process for parents. It is not undertaken willy-nilly by parents or schools. It is taken very seriously and is used as a last resort if a child is experiencing difficulties. To suggest children are being diagnosed improperly and without good reason undermines the professionalism of the services. There is always a good reason for it. Most worryingly, that to which I refer sends out a message that, in having a special educational need, there is a negative connotation in having a so-called label associated with a child and that it is something of which to be ashamed. That is wrong. Like any condition, one needs to know what the condition is and be able to manage it. I assume this is not the intention of commentators, yet it comes across that way. I urge people to be careful in the language they use and the message it sends.

I fully support the provision in the motion that calls for powers to be given to the NCSE to provide for a special class or autism class where there is clear demand for one. There is a huge shortage of autism classes throughout the State, particularly at second level, and this must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Although our party has already committed to an amendment of the upcoming Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 in this regard, I would welcome any moves to address the issue in the meantime. I take the Minister's point that a clear need must be established for such a class and that it is better if schools are not compelled to provide such classes against their will. However, the needs of the child must be paramount in this situation. If we are striving towards an inclusive education system, it must be done. We cannot kick the can down the road any longer when it is clear that there is a problem that must be addressed.

While I understand and welcome the sentiments behind the new resource allocation model in that it aims to provide increased flexibility to schools to allocate resources based on need and allow schools to provide for the special educational needs of pupils without an assessment or diagnosis, there are a number of concerns. I have been flooded with concerns from principals and teachers about the new resource allocation model. If we consider the upcoming admissions legislation, which seeks to eliminate the barriers to admissions for children with special educational needs, we must ask ourselves if there is not a contradiction between this aim and the operation of the new model. I refer specifically to the fact that, under the new model, schools will have their allocations fixed for two years in advance of the enrolment process. This raises a number of concerns.

The first of these concerns is that it will undermine the intention of the new admissions legislation in giving schools a very legitimate reason to deny admission to a child with special educational needs where the school does not have the resources. I have been informed of one such instance where a parent has been informed by a principal and a special educational needs organiser that the local school will not have the resources for two years in order to admit their child. We speak of inclusive education but it is clear that this does not fit in with our vision for such education. It certainly does not fit in with Sinn Féin's view for an inclusive education system.

The second major concern with the new resource allocation model is that no clarity has been afforded to schools around situations where children with special educational needs enter a school subsequent to the allocation. Inclusion Ireland, the National Council for Special Education and the inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills have all called for an appeals mechanism to be established in cases where schools have concerns about their profiles and their subsequent allocations. To date, the full details of this appeals process have not been published and a letter issued to schools yesterday states that the details of the process will be published on 20 March. There is much confusion and publication of the information must be fast-tracked. I hope the appeals process will be a robust and speedy mechanism for schools to address the unanticipated changes in a school’s profile under the new resource allocation model. The lack of clarity at this stage is very worrying and frustrating for schools throughout the State. The new resource allocation model envisages that additional needs identified after a school receives an initial allocation will be addressed through the inclusion support service. This service has not been fully established, but I understand that work is ongoing to expedite matters. There are many gaps in this resource allocation model with things so up in the air. In the Department circulars issued this week and in the letter with details of the allocation that was sent to schools, there was no mention of this service or, indeed, the additional support that will be provided for schools in cases where additional needs have been identified. This is very worrying and a source of frustration for schools.

Given the fact that the model for identification of future complex needs has yet to be finalised, we are now in a situation where increased demand for supports and resources for children with special educational needs may not be adequately provided for under the new model. This is compounded by the fact that the complex needs component of the allocation to a school is calculated on the basis of the current low incidence allocation and may not cover situations where there is increased enrolment of children with complex needs or cases where children receive a diagnosis after the allocation is provided to schools.

Sinn Féin believes there needs to be a clear and straightforward process available to schools in cases where additional needs are identified and the allocation is insufficient to address them. Our amendment seeks to provide additional safeguards to schools. Safeguards are needed because we cannot take chances on something; we must have a good model and a good operation in place. We need to ensure that these needs can be addressed and I urge all parties to support our amendment.

We have been in contact with stakeholders on this point and they agree that this needs to happen and indeed it is the recommendation of Inclusion Ireland, the NCSE and the Department’s inspectorate that there needs to be a mechanism to deal with unanticipated demand. This would provide greater reassurance to schools and would be in keeping with the spirit of the new model whereby we are entrusting schools with the flexibility to determine the resources needed to adequately support the child. It would also be in keeping with the spirit of the new admissions legislation, which seeks to remove the barriers to admission to school for children with special educational needs. We know that such additional supports are absolutely crucial as pointed out by the Department of Education and Skills' inspectorate report, which says that the impact of the new resource allocation model was primarily in schools that received additional supports. This motion calls for additional provision to be made in cases where a child has a specific diagnosis when entering or transferring from school. Sinn Féin feels, however, that this needs to be broader in order to address the issues outlined above. The linking of additional supports to a diagnosis flies in the face of what the new resource allocation model is about and it sends a contradictory message to schools and parents.

I appreciate the fact that there are positive aspects to the new resource allocation model but I sincerely hope that the issues to which I refer will be addressed before September. Parents, schools and children are desperate for an effective and inclusive system that allows the supports and resources to be put in place to address the needs of children with special educational needs. Appropriate investment in the NEPS and early intervention may be a more effective means of addressing many of the issues. In one way it appears that we have come up with a very convoluted solution to the delay in assessing children. In any event, I have difficulties with the wording of the motion before us. I call on all parties to support our amendment to the motion, which provides additional safeguards for schools and, more importantly, for children.

Deputy Mick Barry

The austerity measures in recent years have hit the most vulnerable the hardest. We have seen how this Government and its forerunner, the Labour Party - Fine Gael Government, targeted some of the most vulnerable people in education. Capitation grants were cut, class sizes remained high, career guidance positions were axed, teachers’ pay was cut and teachers were demoralised. The teaching positions allocated to the Traveller community were cut. Those students who have special needs were greatly impacted and the debate tonight is about those students.

I will first turn to some of the issues that have arisen in Cork. There is a particular concern among parents there regarding the lack of provision for children with autism. I attended a public meeting in Cork on this issue a number of months ago at which parents, teachers and other elected representatives were present. There is no adequate provision of autistic spectrum disorder, ASD, special classes - or anything near enough - in schools in Cork. One teacher informed me that the special educational needs organiser in Cork contacted every secondary school in the city and found that apart from the four schools that already had ASD special classes, no school except one would set up an ASD special class despite the needs of the incoming student cohort. In Cork city in the 2016-2017 academic year only one boy was offered a place in an ASD special class in a mainstream school. That is just one place for the entire city of Cork.

Let us consider other figures. According to figures I have been given by a teacher in Cork city, during the 2015-2016 academic year there were 1,164 students in special classes at second level across the State. There were 3,426 students in special classes at primary level. The simple maths is that 3,426 places required cannot go into the 1,164 students at second level. In Cork city and county last summer there were 396 students trying to get into 205 places at second level. Again the maths is simple; there is simply not adequate provision. While there will be some pupils who do not need a special class at second level or who may go to a special school, there will also be those who did not need a special class at primary level and who will need one at second level. The experience is that when primary school concludes students with autism face a major disruption in their education. There are many pupils with ASD who can thrive in mainstream classes. There are others who cannot and who need the environment of a special class with a smaller group of students, experienced teachers and SNAs. In such situations, these students can achieve in education when they would not if they were in the mainstream classroom.

In reply to parliamentary questions, the Minister for Education and Skills and his predecessor have repeatedly stated that the setting up of special classes is "subject to the willingness of schools to open classes". The Government will say that the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 will make it illegal to refuse a person with autism from a school. Under that Bill, the NCSE will have the ability to place children in schools where a school place is not available. The key point is, however, that there is no provision in the Bill for the NCSE to direct that special classes be established.

Students needing special classes will be placed into a mainstream class, causing major disruption to that student’s education unless such provision is put in place. That is the crux of the matter. That is what needs to be done.

I want to make a couple of points about NEPS and the resource teaching situation. It is scandalous that there are thousands of children in the education system without access to an educational psychologist through NEPS. There are 619 primary and secondary schools without access to a NEPS psychologist for making assessments. The Oireachtas Library and Research Service has outlined that 131 DEIS schools have no access to a NEPS psychologist. Like many aspects of our public services, private operators are used to fill in gaps in the underfunded and understaffed public service. This is not something that is done by accident; it is done by design. It is part of a general neoliberal model the Government has for our public services.

The amendment to the Fianna Fáil motion mentioned the crude limitation of two assessments per 100 pupils under the current system. That shows the approach that Ministers have taken over the years. Rather than catering for whatever are the needs of our young people, they penny-pinched and allocated access to assessments based on a crude budget, not on needs. There was a 15% cut in the number of resource teacher hours and this cut has not been reversed. There is to be a new allocation model that does not depend on formal diagnosis. On the face of it, this is to be welcomed, given the problems in accessing formal diagnosis for many young people. However, there are still serious doubts about the new resource allocation model being advanced. I support the call for an absolute assurance that no student will have resource teaching hours reduced, even by a single hour.

In conclusion, I want to make several points of that the service the resources situation it is scandalous that thousands of students in education system without education access to an occupational's psychologist of the service there are 619 primary and secondary schools without access to a psychologist, assessments are class library and research services over that 131 schools no access to a psychologist like many aspects of our public services private operators beautiful in gaps under on that land on. Robinson was is not by accident the storm by design as part of the channel, the only role model the amendment to the Fina file motion mentioned the criminal limitation of two assessments per 100 pupils on the current system that shows the approach that ministers over the years have taken rather than catering for whatever other needs of our young people they penny pinched and allocated access to assessments based on a crude budget and not on these there was a 15% cut in the numbers of resource teacher hours and this course has not been reversed there is to be a new allocation model that does not and formal diagnosis on the face of it this is to be welcomed given the problems in accessing formal diagnosis for many young people however there are still serious doubts about the new resource allocation model being advanced I support the call for an absolute assurance that no student will have resource resource teaching arms reduced even by a single hour.

Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan

I wish to share time with Deputy Pringle.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan

The motion recognises the reality in respect of psychological services for children in education. NEPS is seriously understaffed and a high number of DEIS schools do not have access to a NEPS psychologist for the purpose of carrying out an assessment. That means a financial strain on NEPS to pay for private psychologists.

With regard to the new resource allocation model for allocating special education teaching resources, I note that, in theory, the new model is based on need and that it has been welcomed by the NCSE. However, I believe that, as with all models, there is a need for vigilance in terms of monitoring and evaluation so it does what it is supposed to be doing.

I spent 36 years in second level schools and I chaired the board of management of a primary school. I want to highlight what is going on in our schools in spite of the lack of psychologists. What I have seen over those years is a duty of care from all staff - from principals and teachers to the ancillary staff - and all of the ethos I have seen in schools I know has been an ethos of tolerance and respect, especially respect for difference.

Many different issues arise for students in schools, namely, bereavement, addiction in their homes, their own addiction issues, bullying - for the bully and the bullied - lack of confidence, low self-esteem, poverty, housing, including those living in bed and breakfasts and hotels, relationship issues, self-harm, pregnancy, eating disorders and behaviour in classrooms and on school grounds. These are just a few of the issues teachers deal with every day. My teaching days were in a time when, in north Dublin, we had access to one psychologist. This means so much fell to the teachers, and they rose to it. Many schools had excellent pastoral care systems, with year heads, form teachers, pastoral care teams, chaplains and school guidance counsellors. It is important to recognise how much support and care there was over the years. Obviously, it was not perfect but so much was done by the schools in drawing up programmes and addressing those issues for their students.

Two particular programmes are On My Own Two Feet and Walk Tall. I know On My Own Two Feet better because my school was a pilot school for that programme. The modules were on self-esteem and identity, assertiveness, feelings, decision-making and understanding influence. There were five books with enough material for 40 classes in each. It was adaptable according to the age profile and there was training for teachers, and there was a lot of support in the schools. I want to put out there what the schools did and what they continue to do, regardless of the NEPS situation.

The motion is comprehensive, given the work of Deputy Thomas Byrne, and the main issue is access to NEPS and related services. It is positive that there will be less of a need going forward for students to have had a formal assessment to access supports. However, that will put a huge onus on schools to decide which student gets the support and to what level. That reinforces the need to bolster staff support levels through NEPS and related services to guide and help the resource schools in allocating teaching resources in line with the new model. Many teachers also feel that the process by which to attract SNA support to a student with care needs is overly cumbersome. Is there a possibility of looking at a model whereby a SENO or NEPS psychologist could monitor and observe such students as identified by schools and then decide what support may be necessary? The current model for attracting SNAs is bureaucratic and costly. We also want to acknowledge the excellent being done by the learning resource teachers in drawing up and directing individual lesson plans for those students who need them.

We know the autism spectrum is very wide and there are some students at one end for whom an autism unit could be based in the school. However, that has to be based on need and there have to be teachers who have been specially trained with the skills in order to teach those students. There are other students with care needs and learning needs who can be accommodated within the school, and that has to be reflected in the admissions policies of all schools in order that they are welcoming of those with special needs. It is crucial that we have early intervention and that we do all we can to ensure that early intervention is in place for those students of greatest need.

Deputy Thomas Pringle

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the issues addressed in the context of NEPS in Fianna Fáil's Private Members' motion. I not only want to focus on the issue of the chronically understaffed NEPS but also on the provision of special needs supports in our schools. NEPS is also responsible for ensuring that the special educational needs of a child are met in tandem with the provision of special needs assistants for a school. First, on the issue of staffing for NEPS, the programme for Government stated its intention to increase the number of NEPS psychologists in the country by 65. However, the Government has already delayed on this commitment, as indicated in the Minister's 2017 Action Plan for Education, where the Minister commits to only beginning the hiring process for ten new staff to NEPS as opposed to 65 by the first quarter of this year.

It was indicated to the Dáil that a total of 34,500 primary pupils, or one in six primary schools, are still without direct access to a NEPS psychologist. However, the total number of children possibly affected by the lack of access to NEPS could be as many as 95,000 pupils and 397 schools. This may be the case if we include children who are on long waiting lists to see a NEPS psychologist. This inconsistency is undoubtedly leading to a growing inequality in access to education across the country. While a child is waiting for a NEPS assessment, he or she is missing out on access to vital resource teaching hours and learning supports. The current situation also privileges those who can afford to pay for private assessment, thereby exacerbating social inequality.

The reformed system of resource allocation where access to resource teaching would no longer rely upon a formal diagnosis of learning difficulty, although welcome, has serious implications as it is unclear how this new system would be implemented. The Minister recently announced a new assessment process for schools in regard to determining DEIS status. Despite my numerous parliamentary questions to him on exactly how this new assessment framework operates, huge gaps are present in his explanation and it is still unclear how the Department determines a school's DEIS classification. This leads me to believe that a large part of the process is left to the discretion of the Minister or his Department so there is flexibility in which schools are classified and which are declassified.

I would be concerned that the very same process will ensue in the new model of allocation of resource teacher hours for schools. The new model will allocate teachers to schools according to the profiled educational needs of each school, but how exactly will NEPS profile the education needs of each school in a way that is fair, transparent and truly reflective of need?

I would also make the point that while we discuss the need to increase the number of NEPS psychologists available to schools, we need to talk about the allocation of special needs assistants for children with physical disabilities. One consequence of increases in numbers within NEPS is an increase in the need for special needs assistants and in the number of children undergoing assessment. The problem is the inequality inherent in the assessment process. There have been cases where very young children with type 1 diabetes are told by NEPS they are not entitled to an SNA and must share an SNA with a child who has autism or who has entirely different needs and takes completely different classes within the school. This is not a reflection of an equitable allocation of resources and it is certainly not reflective of need.

On the issue of equipment, some schools cannot get funding from the HSE to provide the necessary equipment for students who may not be able to attend school otherwise. They may even have special needs assistants allocated to them but once they attend school, barriers are prevented due to the lack of necessary equipment. This could be anything from a hoist to special chairs or proper lighting for sensory issues. Last year, a school in Dungloe, County Donegal, was left to fund-raise for vital equipment for students with severe disabilities. Proper equipment and support staff are critical to students' progression in their educational development. I echo calls across the House that the Government must begin to take seriously the right of the child to education.

Deputy Michael Collins

I support the motion before the House. It has long been established that early intervention is crucial to give a child the best opportunities. For early intervention, we first need an assessment of needs. Otherwise, we are putting the cart before the horse. Early assessment means that the children will be offered suitable resources and supports that will enable them to reach their full potential. If a child is not assessed, supports are not put in place. I was shocked to recently learn that there was only one educational psychologist employed by the HSE in south Cork who has to manage more than 200 referrals per year. I have been told that the referrals are divided into two lists: priority and routine. The priority list can take more than one year and the routine waiting list can take more than two years. South Cork is severely understaffed and I believe that it is not in line with the child-to-psychologist ratio in other areas of the country such as County Donegal.

The Government must act now on its commitment to increase the number of National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, psychologists. Inadequate NEPS staffing is causing huge stress to parents, teachers and students and it cannot continue. Early assessment intervention is key to preventing much bigger problems in children's lives. Furthermore, it has been proven that early intervention saves the Government money in the long run. The Government must make increasing the number of educational psychologists available a priority, particularly in south-west Cork, where, as I mentioned, only one educational psychologist is available to deal with more than 200 referrals per year. It is wholly unacceptable that a child must in some cases wait more than two years for an assessment. This issue needs to be addressed now.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I too wish to support this motion and the call for more psychologists to assess the needs of children in order that their needs are properly addressed. I call for more transparency when funding is being awarded under the DEIS programme. I am aware of a situation in a very large school in Killarney, St. Oliver's, in which there are huge numbers of children who come from many different countries and where funding is required to give these children a fair and proper education. Additional teachers with translation abilities are needed to give these children a proper start and a proper education.

There is an urgent need for many more special needs teachers in the small national schools around the country. As larger schools have special needs teachers, the child with special needs from a family of course tends to go to that school and the rest of the family follows. That means they pass a small school nearer to them, which eventually closes because children tend to go to the school their special needs siblings attend.

There is another issue in rural Ireland that needs to be addressed. When rural schools were closed, a promise was given that the children would always be transported for free to the nearest central school in the parish. That is not happening. Since 2012, the last Government and this Government have furthered a policy by which the children will only get transport to the nearest school, which may be in a different parish. That is not fair because families want to keep their parish identities and want their children to go to the local schools. Where the parents went, they want to children to follow. This must be addressed. There are many such situations in Cordal, Scartaglin, Anascaul, Tralee and Dingle. All of those places are affected. In Knocknagashel, there are more families affected. The Government did not honour the promise given that the children would be taken to the school in their own parish.

There is no need in Kerry for the education Bill the Minister is bringing through. There is no requirement for a child to be baptised to be allowed into any of the schools that I know in Kerry. It is not a requirement that they have to produce a baptismal certificate. All denominations and all children from whatever country they come from are allowed in to each of our national schools. Our schools and parent-teacher committees need to be applauded for that because they do not segregate anyone. They give all children a chance to be admitted to their schools. I know one very small national school at the present time in which there are children from 13 different nationalities and there was never a requirement that they had to produce a baptismal certificate.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

I compliment Deputy Thomas Byrne on tabling this important motion. The NEPS is drastically understaffed, with 95,543 primary and post-primary pupils across almost 400 schools without access to an assigned NEPS psychologist. This is shocking. There also is a serious shortage of special autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes, at post-primary level. In Clonmel, Tipperary, there are two preschool units set up by a former principal of St. Mary's, Mr. Jimmy Ryan. There are 12 students who will leave those units this September with no place to go. The special educational needs organisers, SENOs, are doing great work, as are the parents of these children with special needs. It is so difficult on them and so unfair.

There is a public meeting taking place in my own school and village tonight at this precise time to inform the public. It is ironic that we are speaking about it here. However, that is eight, nine or ten miles out from Clonmel and people cannot be and should not be travelling. Another is taking place in Burncourt on the other side of the Cahir electoral area. We need them. The town of Clonmel, with 22,000 people, has no national school that has an ASD unit. There are problems with the unit and with boards of management. They are not problems, but they all have to okay it and buy into it. It has to be a whole school management scheme. It needs a bit of enthusiasm. There is a wonderful unit in Ardfinnan led by Ms Mairead Condon.

The Minister is going to have to sit down with the unions. There must be a carrot and a stick. The Minister said earlier that he cannot force them into it. I do not want it to be forced as that would not be in the right spirit. They have to want to do it and do it for the love of children with special needs. We need to have special needs teachers. We cannot force the teachers to go in. We need to have more special needs assistants and more flexibility for them. In setting up these two new units for September, we will be coming to the Department of Education and Skills with begging bowls in the next few weeks looking for funding to do the buildings. I hope they will not be prefabricated. We must get planning for a proper building. I believe it is very important to have a proper type of building. We need to have a reciprocation from the Minister's Department. Where schools, boards of management, principals, parents' councils, parents and teachers want to do this, there must be an engaging Department of Education and Skills that will provide the supports and not hold them back.

I have a son myself going to a special unit in the High School, Clonmel. It is an exceptional unit set up under former principal, Mr. Shay Bannon. There is an exceptional staff and team and it is a major success. It could be used as a template for any part of the country. People go in and out of it and into different classes. It is needed. The figures are compelling. I know that we have come through a torrid recession but special needs children and their parents need all the support they can get. They have enough to do to look after the children on a 24-7 basis. They need to be able to have a school within a reasonable distance, and not have children travelling 21 km from Clonmel to someplace else out of town. It is very important for such towns that there is some bit of stick, rather than carrot, to ensure there are schools for that kind of a population group.

Let us face it: they are all there. All these problems of autism and other issues are being diagnosed. There is early diagnosis, thankfully. In many cases, parents have to pay vast moneys to get the vital early diagnosis. We are playing catch-up totally in this regard.

I wish to highlight the question of DEIS schools as well. The Minister adverted to Tipperary earlier and the Holy Trinity national school in Fethard in particular. It failed to get DEIS status this year.

Tá a lán oibre le déanamh ag an Aire. The Minister has much work to do. I always say that where Tipperary leads, Ireland follows. The Minister's bean chéile is from Tipperary so he should look after Tipperary and all the students there.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

An Teachta Catherine Murphy is next. The slot is nine minutes in total.

Deputy Catherine Murphy

I am sharing time with Deputy Catherine Martin.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. I regularly have people calling to my office to raise this issue. I expect it is the same for other Deputies. It happens because there is a problem with the psychological services or the absence of them. The issue arises regularly. Last week a particular case arose. A child was facing exclusion from school activities due to the lack of supports. Of course there is long-term damage for such children because self-esteem is not something we can measure. Obviously, excluding the child is a major step for the teachers in the school to have to take.

Parents constantly tell me that their children are not being called for assessments simply because no psychological staff are available. It can be very much a postcode lottery. Not unlike Deputy Thomas Byrne, I happen to live in an area where there is a disproportionately large young population. There are commitments in the programme for Government to increase NEPS staffing resources by 65 individual therapists. Such an increase would represent a 25% increase overall. However, there has been no increase in the number of assessments and no reduction in the waiting lists. As of January 2017, a total of 321 schools have no access to NEPS psychologists due to staff vacancies. Some 223 schools had no access to psychological services due to leave arrangements.

Many children are on the autism spectrum. The service has been developed over years. Often, services were developed because parents went to the courts and fought for appropriate education for their children. I remember when some autism spectrum units were built specifically at primary level. The one school decided to hold out and wait until it got the associated services. Those involved knew that this was the best thing to do because if they did not get the services at the beginning, they would not be added afterwards.

I do not understand it. Children are identified at preschool level. They eventually end up in a primary school but some schools want to be selective. For some reason, it does not seem to follow that the need of the child is captured for second level. Inevitably, the huge folder, familiar to any parent who has a child with special needs, gets pulled out again and the parents lobby once more for services for their children or for appropriate education for their children at secondary level. I do not understand it. If the information is available, why is it not captured or planned for? Why are parents constantly put through the same fight all over again? I have never met a parent of a child with special needs - regardless of the end of the spectrum at which he or she is placed - who does not end up being almost a professional lobbyist.

There is no doubt that there is an obvious gap in psychological services. It is an obvious thing to say, but children only get one childhood. If a child is deprived of necessary services and supports in childhood, essentially the consequences follow through in terms of outcomes in future. This must be seen as an investment. There is an educational window of opportunity. If we do not pick it up at the early stage, we will not get the outcome to which the child is entitled in order for the child to be treated equally in this country. The matter merits the attention it is getting tonight.

Deputy Catherine Martin

Táim sásta labhairt anocht ar son an rúin seo mar go ndíríonn sé ar chuid mhaith den mhí-chothromaíocht atá sa chóras oideachais seo againne, mí-chothromaíocht gur féidir leis an Rialtas a leigheas go héasca má chinntíonn sé infheistíocht do na hearnáil áirithe seo. I commend Deputy Thomas Byrne on bringing this motion before the House. The Green Party will be supporting it.

Psychological services in our schools have been at crisis level for many years. Today, a total of 397 schools are without access to NEPS. These schools are at an extraordinarily unfair disadvantage and face unacceptable delays when it comes to access to assessment for special educational needs or behavioural difficulties. All schools need access to a full educational psychological service that facilitates early intervention work and appropriate screening programmes as well as vital assessment services and systems to ensure the necessary supports and resources are available to all children in need of same.

The sad reality is that for many years parents from more affluent backgrounds have easily accessed the necessary educational psychological assessments for their children by paying for them privately. These reports are then utilised to assert the rights of these children to extra resources. However, children from more disadvantaged backgrounds have to take their place in an endless queue. The resulting delay means needs are not identified, appropriate resources are not provided and children fall behind in an educational system that moves quickly.

It is a vicious cycle. The most disadvantaged become even more disadvantaged. This is evidenced by the fact that at present 131 DEIS schools are without access to a NEPS psychologist.

I welcome the Minister's announcement of a new model of allocating teaching resources for special needs. I look forward to the new model being rolled out in September and I look forward to seeing how exactly it will work on a practical level. However, the key point is that the specific needs of all students are not only appropriately identified but adequately responded to with the necessary supports and resources as well.

The provision of crucial services to students should not come down to luck of the draw in respect of where a school is based. All schools and students should have access to all services that NEPS provides, especially in the event of a crisis or a tragedy.

The chronic shortage of places for students with autism spectrum disorder is addressed in the motion. Currently, schools can refuse to set up ASD units despite an obvious need for same identified in the locality. Herein lies the ongoing appalling discrimination on grounds of special educational needs taking place in many schools. However, it is not being addressed by the Government. The school inspection system does not help. Schools which have ASD units and many students with special educational needs are often questioned and criticised at the end of a school inspection in respect of why they do not attract more academic students. At the same time, schools that do not have ASD units and have few children with special educational needs are never asked at the end of an inspection why they have so few children with special educational needs.

One of the main reasons for the shortage of ASD units in schools is the ability of a school to groundlessly refuse to set up an ASD unit. Representatives of these schools often suggest to parents who request such supports that they should try the school down the road or that the child would be better off in another school. This practice must stop. I will be submitting an amendment to the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill to give authority to the NCSE to compel schools to set up special classes where a need is identified. The Department of Education and skills must ensure that these classes or units are then adequately resourced.

John F. Kennedy once said that not everyone has equal abilities, but that everyone should have equal opportunity for education. As legislators, we must ensure that equality of access and opportunity is always front and centre and at the heart of our educational system. Unfortunately, this is not the case at present. However, it is essential that it becomes the standard, the norm. It should never be compromised. Actually it must be a fundamental and overarching principle. It must be a priority underpinning all levels of the Irish education system.

Deputy Pat Casey

First, I thank my colleague, Deputy Thomas Byrne, for his work on ensuring fair treatment for all children is the primary focus of Fianna Fáil's work in education. The National Educational Psychological Service provides a vital service by professionally assessing whether additional learning supports should be provided in schools to children in need of them. For parents and teachers who wish to access additional teaching resources for these children, the students must first be assessed by a psychologist. This is a vulnerable and stressful time for these parents, their children and the teachers in the school. The least a Government should do is ensure that this service is provided to all schools.

I was shocked and angered when Deputy Thomas Byrne confirmed to me that 14 schools in Wicklow have no access to NEPS. Four primary schools in Arklow, three primary schools in Greystones and national schools in Wicklow town, Baltinglass, Donard, Enniskerry, Stratford-on-Slaney and Rathangan and a post-primary school in Bray have no access to an assigned NEPS psychologist in 2017. Parents in these schools have no option but to get a private consultation to justify getting the additional resources that their child needs. This can cost more than €1,000, which is beyond the reach of many families in these Wicklow schools. The children of parents who cannot afford this sum of money will not be assessed and therefore will have no access to the learning supports they need to reach their full potential. It appears that under the Government, some children can be left behind.

I accept that the Minister is working on this, but tonight he must state to all those schools, parents and, most importantly, children that every child will have access to NEPS, regardless of where they go to school. What happened to equal access to education for all children? This is a scandal and it must be rectified now.

Deputy Bobby Aylward

I commend my party colleagues for bringing this motion before the House. It seeks a firm commitment from the Government that no child with special educational needs will lose resource teaching hours as a result of changes to the allocation model. As my party's spokesperson on farming and skills, I am often contacted by parents of children with learning difficulties who are struggling to access such supports. No Deputy in the House can dispute the fact that the parents of children with learning disabilities are completely disillusioned with the webs of red tape and the extraordinary waiting times being imposed on them.

Far too many children are already being left behind and their families are the people who suffer. With a diagnosis of a learning difficulty parents are already worried sick that their children will struggle in their education for the following 13 or 14 years as they go through the primary and post-primary cycles. Early education and human development through the adolescent years can be a challenging time for even the most gifted students. For that reason we must do more to ensure urgent access to a child psychologist. That is the key to ensuring that families are supported. Currently, they feel the system is designed to work against them.

To gain access to additional resource teaching, a child must be assessed for learning difficulty by a psychologist, which can be done publicly through the National Educational Psychological Service or through a private consultant. A private assessment will cost up to €1,000, which many parents simply cannot afford. A public assessment through the National Educational Psychological Service can take up to a year, and even longer, and I have a database of representations in my office which testifies to this timeframe. Bridging this huge inequality in the first stage of the process of accessing resource teaching must be central to everything we do into the future. There is concern that instead of a child-centred approach, the new system gives an allocation of resource teaching hours to schools based on their catchment demographic and socio-economic profile. It should not be the case that a child with assessed needs is deprived of resource supports.

We cannot ignore these inequalities any longer. Parents should not be left waiting years for what is essentially the most important appointment in their child's early education, simply because they might not be as well off as others. The Government is attempting to back-track on commitments to hire additional educational psychologists, and the education action plan has delayed the recruitment process. The Government must commit to reversing such trends and to recruiting the required psychologists or the current inequalities in the system will increase to uncontrollable levels. Every child in this country has the constitutional right to equal opportunity to flourish in education. A society is judged by how it looks after its children, and especially children with special needs. We should look after them at all costs.

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan

Children with special educational needs should be able to access full education and the required supports. Much has been said about the current system, the need for reform and the Minister's proposed new model. I wish to focus on three key areas.

The first is children who do not have access to psychologists. There is an acknowledged absence of the service in 400 schools. The Minister is proposing to recruit 21 new psychologists. The target is 238, an increase from 162. This target is inadequate and based on inaccurate information. Take the example of the school in Dromleigh, which is like many other schools in rural mid-Cork. There are seven psychologists within an hour's drive, but all of them are overwhelmed with work. Only one responded to the school when requested and gave an appointment for nine months hence. The child concerned is losing out on a full school year, with the child's education and development suffering. Parents are pushed towards private diagnosis, which costs €600 to €1,200 if they can put the money together. That is not accessible for many families; therefore, again, the child loses out. Furthermore, it is a one-off report, with no follow-up through the child's years of education.

The second key area is the total system failure for children with autism spectrum disorder, ASD. It takes 18 months to two years to get a diagnosis. Those with a diagnosis pre-2016 have limited services but in Cork those with a post-2016 diagnosis have none. Parents are forced to actively drive a system that is not working for them. One parent outlined how she has applied to schools where eight to ten places might become available, but there are over 60 children on a waiting list. One sees the distress of parents who are driving the system, waiting for a response and then experiencing the disappointment and terror when they realise there is no place for their child in September. A lack of demographic planning created this situation. It is bad enough at primary school level but it gets worse at secondary level, where there are even fewer places. If ASD students are lucky enough to get a place, they are also likely to be separated from their peers.

The third point is that a lack of planning caused the problems with the current system. Parents and schools, especially smaller rural schools, are concerned about the new model. They are worried about losing services for their children and returning to the situation of 15 years ago or so when they had a shared remedial teacher who travelled from school to school through the week. Under this new model can they depend on getting the hours that the current system delivers for them?

There is a shortage of psychologists and a failure in ASD services. Any new model must address these issues.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Helen McEntee)

On behalf of the Government and in support of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, I am pleased to speak about our substantial investment in the area of special educational needs and our commitment to the National Educational Psychological Service. Deputy Thomas Byrne will be aware that County Meath has received over €300 million in funding in the past few years to develop its educational services. That has been very well received.

I will outline the reality of the situation in respect of these elements and discuss the real progress that has been, and is being, made in the education system, particularly in support of those with special educational needs.

We are emerging from a period of the most severe economic difficulty and stringency when hard decisions had to be taken with regard to all aspects of public expenditure. It must be acknowledged that the Government - this also applies to the Fine Gael-led Government which preceded it - has performed admirably in its determination to protect investment in the education system, particularly for those students most in need of support. I am pleased to support the Government's counter-motion in this context, bringing as it does an air of reality to what is a positive and dynamic situation.

The Action Plan for Education 2016 to 2019 articulates the ambition, values and goals that are at the basis of the high-level work programme of the Department of Education and Skills, its agencies and the education and training sector. This blueprint demonstrates clearly the high priority being afforded to the areas of mental health and well-being and special educational needs, with a renewed focus on putting appropriate resources in place to address those most at risk of disadvantage. The highlighting of mental health and well-being has particular resonance for me in my current role as Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for mental health. The plan represents a more holistic and structured approach than ever before in the school system. The approach in schools for the promotion of well-being and positive mental health focuses on the entire school community, including groups and individual young people with identified needs. This spans the curriculum, whole school ethos, policy of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care, guidance counselling and the provision of professional development of teachers, which is critically important. All school staff share the responsibility for general student well-being.

The services provided by the NEPS play a pivotal role in supporting well-being, special education and social inclusion initiatives in primary and post-primary schools. Several Deputies raised issues with regard to access to CAMHS, but the first step will always be to try to address the young person's needs at a primary level. CAMHS offers services to those with more severe mental health issues like psychosis, severe depression and eating disorders. Where possible, we must try to work with young people at that primary level.

I welcome the Minister's assurance that recruitment is under way to fill 11 existing vacancies and to appoint another ten psychologists as part of the new DEIS plan which was announced in February. This means that for the next school year the staffing complement in NEPS will be at its highest level ever. I am particularly pleased that the important role of the NEPS has been recognised in the programme for Government with the commitment to increase the number of psychologists by 65 to an unprecedented number of 238 posts.

Another significant undertaking in the Action Plan for Education is the rolling out of a new model for the allocation of teaching resources for children with special educational needs. The basic aim of the model is to deliver better outcomes for children with special educational needs. Officials from the Department of Education and Skills, with their colleagues in the NCSE, engaged in very extensive consultations with school management bodies and teacher representative bodies throughout the development of the new model. Recently, circulars on the implementation of the new model and individual allocation letters have been issued to schools. In addition, extensive guidance has been prepared which will support schools in the delivery of supports to children with special educational needs. Representatives of the Department are now visiting towns throughout the country to speak to school principals and leaders so that any remaining concerns can be addressed. I welcome the extensive engagement the Department has facilitated which will ensure that schools' concerns are addressed. It is very important that people feel that they have been part of the process right to the end.

The allocations given to schools are based on profiles of each school and are tailored to provide enough resources to ensure all children with special educational needs in a school, including those who are currently pupils and those who have yet to enrol, can access the supports they need. In the future, children who need supports will not have to wait for a diagnosis, as was the position in the past. The new model will give greater autonomy to schools to allocate or deploy resources to pupils in line with their needs, regardless of their diagnosis. The provision of an additional 900 special education teaching posts for 2017 is extremely welcome. This comes on top of an increase of 41% in the number of resource teachers allocated to schools since 2011.

On introduction of the new model, over 1,000 schools will receive additional allocations but no school will lose supports. In addition, no allocation made by the NCSE to schools to support pupils in the past will be removed from schools as long as those pupils remain in the school. Under the new model, for students who start school from September 2017 with a specific diagnosis, either in junior infants or transferring from another school, the resources they need will already be in the school. The introduction of this new model has followed extensive consultation, analysis and a pilot process. It has been widely welcomed across the school sector, as well as by parents and disability representatives.

Progress in developing special classes for children with autism has been significant in recent years. There are 525 primary autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes at primary level and 237 post-primary ASD classes. The number of special class placements available generally reflects the distribution of students with autism across school settings. The development of special class provision in post-primary settings usually lags a number of years behind the growth of special class provision at primary level for obvious demographic reasons. That said, in the past three years the number of special classes at post-primary level has doubled.

The NCSE and the Department of Education and Skills are working with schools to open up classes to meet demand but it is accepted that some difficulties remain, particularly at post-primary level. In many cases, a refusal to open special classes arises because a school either has no space, is currently full, is awaiting a new building or the renovation of existing buildings or rooms, or because it simply cannot access suitably-trained teachers. Whether the difficulties are infrastructural or related to the availability of suitably trained teachers or SNAs, clearly it is preferable that the Department would work with the school to ensure that such difficulties are addressed. Schools should not be expected to open classes in the absence of suitable accommodation or staff to manage these facilities.

It is difficult to conclude that problems in this area should be remediated by introducing a statutory provision to compel schools to open special classes. I do not think that is the way to go. I cannot imagine that parents or students would be happy in such a scenario. If I had children, I certainly would not consider enrolling them in a school where such a direction had been issued to a school without its agreement. It would be far preferable for schools to voluntarily open classes on request and to ensure that all necessary measures are put in place so that infrastructural or staffing issues are fully and appropriately addressed in a timely manner.

I strongly support my colleague, Deputy Richard Bruton, and the Government's motion on this issue. Since 2011 significant investment has been made in the area of special educational needs. This year over €1.6 billion is committed to this area, an increase of €400 million on the 2011 figure, when the previous Government took office. This represents close to 20% of the overall education and training budget. The delivery of the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government to appoint additional educational psychologists is already under way and the Minister has made a commitment to ensure that this happens as quickly as possible. I am also working closely with the Minister and his officials to ensure we are as responsive as possible in addressing the needs of students experiencing mental health difficulties and in supporting the well-being of all, including teachers, parents and all in the community. I commend the motion to the House.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

There are two minutes left in the slot and with the Minister of State's permission, I will invite Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin to speak.

Deputy Helen McEntee

That is fine.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin is now speaking on behalf of the Government.

Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin

Go raibh maith agat. May this be the first of many times that I speak on behalf of a Minister of State. I thank the Minister of State but her generosity means that I cannot be as hard as I intended to be.

I am speaking on behalf of the 942 students with ASD in Kildare, many of whom cannot access a place. I am also speaking on behalf of the two schools in Rathangan which have no NEPS schemes whatsoever. Staff in my office carried out a survey among all of the schools in Kildare on this issue because we recognised its importance. We got a huge response to the survey from school principals who were very eager to have their views and experiences heard. To be honest, not all of them were negative about the new scheme but they all spoke about the difficulties they experience in providing resources to children through the scheme. They are very frustrated and angry about how difficult it is to get an assessment, as they see their students struggling every single day. There is a glaring inequality in the system which allows parents with sufficient financial means to pay for a private assessment in order to get their children the resources that they need. Such assessments can cost upwards of €1,000.

I do not have time to talk about Caoilinn from Suncroft who cannot access a place or about David from Newbridge who is flourishing because he has one. I urge the Government to increase the number of places in ASD units in order that children like Caoilinn can have an educational experience like David's. We must ensure children do not fall through the cracks in the education system.

Deputy Eugene Murphy

We are all aware that there are major problems with the current allocation model for resource teaching hours.

Many parents and teachers throughout my constituency of Roscommon-Galway have raised the issue with me. Yesterday I was contacted by a young teacher from Roscommon town who pointed to the considerable uncertainty about the new arrangements for the new NCSE model for meeting special educational needs in schools. Parents have been left in the dark and do not know if their children will have learning support and resource teaching hours. Teachers are unsure if they will have jobs next September. School principals do not know what their staff allocation will be next year.

As my colleagues pointed out, a number of people looking for assessments for their children have gone to private sources and some have paid between €450 and €1,000 for the service. That, in itself, is totally wrong. I understand from where the Government is coming. I have no doubt about the sincerity of the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Helen McEntee.

In County Roscommon a total of 132 children are waiting for an assessment by a child psychologist and some children have been waiting more than one year for the appointment. The reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Deputy Thomas Byrne showed a huge increase since 2015 in the number of children on a waiting list to see a child psychologist in the county. A total of 58 children were on the waiting list in 2015. That figure rose to 126 in 2016 and this month a total of 132 children are on the waiting list, a staggering increase of 127% since 2015 in a county with a population of 64,000. This is totally unacceptable and the situation seems to have deteriorated since last summer when a child psychologist in County Roscommon was on sick leave. The post has been vacant since, resulting in 132 children from County Roscommon being on the waiting list and unable to access child psychological services.

I am dealing with a boy from County Roscommon who was referred by his GP to the psychological services, but after several weeks his parents finally received a return call informing them that the psychologist looking after school-age children had been on sick leave since March 2016 and that a locum could not be found for the post. Officials could not indicate when the service would become available again, but they indicated that no children had been assessed since March 2016 and that the waiting list would be significant. I have more to say, but I have to share time.

County Roscommon is a very special case. Apart from those 132 children, 39 Syrian children are coming to Ballaghaderreen and the Government has informed us that it will have every service in place. In a small county that will bring the number to almost 200 children who cannot get a service. I plead with the Minister to approach the Minister for Health to sort out this issue as a matter of urgency.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I thank Deputy Thomas Byrne for tabling this very important motion on NEPS psychologists. As we have seen this evening, the assessment-of-need process is completely failing thousands of children who need the appropriate diagnosis and intervention and their educational needs are not being met as a result. Both Ministers can quote figures for budgetary allocations, but the reality is that children are not getting what they require. The Ministers have the executive function to change the current system, address the recruitment problems and manage the budgetary allocations properly and prudently in order that we give children the intervention they desperately require. Quoting statistics means nothing to all of the children with no diagnosis and for whom there is no intervention. They mean nothing to the parents and children who face a desperate situation every day. I do not doubt the Ministers' sincerity, but it is important that they stop giving us the Civil Service speak, the statistics and the nonsense. They need to cut to the chase and address what are serious matters.

From international research, we know that early intervention is the only mechanism to give people a chance of achieving educational attainment. This is only a diagnostic process in seeking occupational, speech and language therapy and dealing with all of the other issues we have with the HSE. This is simply about ratifying people's current diagnosis in order that they can access the educational wraparound services and health intervention required. That is not happening in the current system.

It is all very well to laud the additional spending - nearly €15 billion is being spent on health care services this year. However, people are on waiting lists and dying because they do not have a diagnosis. The same is happening in education. It is possible to spend more, but what does that give parents when their child is not getting an opportunity? We recently held a referendum to enshrine children's rights in the Constitution, which was a very positive development. However, the Minister should not stand over a situation where thousands of children are not being given the chance to uphold their educational rights. It is important to move away from bland statistics and look at the future educational attainment of children.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis na Teachtaí Dála go léir a thug tacaíocht don rún seo. Tá súil agam go lonraíonn sé seo solas ar an bhfadhb an-ghéar atá againn maidir leis an tseirbhís shíceolaíoch atá againn agus na tacaíochtaí atá ar fáil do pháistí sna scoileanna.

We do not come into the Dáil with preconceived knowledge of all the areas that will end up being within our areas of expertise as legislators. This issue first came to my attention in a particularly sharp way when early in my Dáil term the parent of a 15-year old child who could not obtain an educational assessment came to my office in Kells. This is a child who is well through the education system and has needs that are developing and changing but who cannot gain access. The parent was at her wits' end. All of the parents we are meeting in our clinics - presumably they are also going to the clinics of Fine Gael Members - are at their wits' end. Their children are suffering and if we do not speak out on this issue and try to make a difference and the Government does not deliver, we will let down the children and do the State a disservice. As I said, this is about upholding and delivering on the constitutional rights of children if we are to have a fair and equal society.

Many other issues which have not been addressed in this debate will, of course, be brought forward in the future. Extending the NEPS to cover preschool education would be a really positive development, something which many within the sector support. The way we deal with home tutors at preschool level is scandalous. I intend to address that issue further with the Minister and it is with the Department of Education and Skills. It affects a child at the very start of his or her education.

There is an issue with how we treat children who have left secondary school and for whom there is nothing available at third level. Again, parents are at their wits' end because nothing is being provided and they have to do it for themselves.

As colleagues said, it is all very well for Ministers to quote the spending figures. As a party, we were rightly criticised for doing this ten years ago. People did not want to hear it and that is a lesson we learned. They want delivery on the ground. They want action and support. They want the Constitution to be put into practice in how we spend the people's money to deliver services. That is our role. We look at the Constitution and the laws and remember that we are a society of individual citizens, all of whom have a role to play and a contribution to make and all of whom have to be looked after. We will not begrudge people who do well and get to the top of the ladder, but if somebody is struggling to get up the ladder, as a society, we should and certainly we in Fianna Fáil will ensure we will give them every support. We see it as our duty to do this and highlight injustices.

The recruitment process for the NEPS must be expedited. The Minister must intervene, not in individual appointments but in the process. He should tell the Public Appointments Service to get its act together and have people employed. They are willing to work. Panels have been constituted and suitable psychologists found, but they have not been employed and children continue to suffer.

There is a need for more clarity on the circular, the appeals process, how we deal with complex needs in schools and what is to happen in second level ASD classes. These issues must be addressed urgently if we are to do right by all citizens.

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Baill go léir arís. Tá áthas orm an rún seo a chur faoi bhráid na Dála. Tá súil agam go rithfidh an rún agus go ndéanfaimid difríocht do na páistí agus na saoránaigh seo a bhfuil díth speisialta orthu.

Amendment put.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

In accordance with Standing Order 70(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time on Thursday, 9 March 2017.