Special Educational Needs.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2004

Tuesday, 22 June 2004

Questions (152, 153)

Charlie O'Connor

Question:

143 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of special needs assistants employed by his Department; and the number based in schools on a county basis. [18338/04]

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

152 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the figures for the numbers and distribution of special needs assistants in each of the country’s primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18353/04]

Written answers

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 152 together.

Approval for the position of a special needs assistant is granted by my Department. The post is sanctioned to help cater for the special needs of the pupil or pupils and is subject to review in light of their emerging needs. Each individual school authority is responsible for the employment of special needs assistants.

There are 5,026 wholetime equivalent special needs assistants at primary level being paid salary on my Department's payroll. To date, my Department has allocated 466 wholetime equivalent special needs assistants at post-primary level. A table setting out the breakdown on a county basis follows for the Deputies' information.

County	Primary	Post-primary
	WTE	WTE
Carlow	58.75	7.36
Cavan	62.15	7.23
Clare	184.24	18.79
Cork	634.99	42.21
Donegal	194.43	54.34
Dublin	1,290.79	89.71
Galway	221.4	40.12
Kerry	140.1	10.35
Kildare	242.8	11.65
Kilkenny	92.78	11.32
Laois	89.67	1.77
Leitrim	19.34	4.5
Limerick	264.87	21.93
Longford	38.04	1.45
Louth	102.64	8.98
Mayo	147.45	19.91
Meath	172.17	21.32
Monaghan	33.24	10.09
Offaly	85.92	14.39
Roscommon	68.23	5.22
Sligo	97.98	5.46
Tipperary	217.61	26.36
Waterford	114.14	6.36
Westmeath	135.43	10.46
Wexford	128.32	2.67
Wicklow	188.38	11.98
Total	5025.86	465.93