Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2004
310 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the arrangements which are being put in place to cater for the educational needs of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11; if support will be provided from September 2004 onwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20560/04]
View answerMy Department has no record of receiving an application for special education needs for the child referred to by the Deputy. All applications for SEN support received in my Department by 30 June 2004 will be responded to before the commencement of the 2004-5 school year. The arrangements for processing applications received after the closing date will be advised to schools in due course.
311 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding services for children with autism on the northside of Dublin; and his plans for future services. [20567/04]
View answerChildren with autism have access to a range of special support services. Those attending mainstream schools are generally catered for with the support of a special needs teacher and special needs assistant services. There are currently in the region of 2,600 resource teachers and approximately 5,500 special needs assistants allocated to primary schools nationwide. The level of support provided in any particular case is determined by the professionally assessed needs of the individual child.
To date, in the region of 130 special classes dedicated to children with autism have been established within the primary sector. Thirteen of these classes are based on the northside of Dublin, including two for pupils with Asberger's syndrome. There are also three pre-school classes for pupils with autism in the area. Each such class operates at a maximum pupil teacher ratio of 6:1 and each class also has the support of at least two special needs assistants. Further such classes are being established on an ongoing basis in response to assessed needs.
There are currently seven facilities in the State, operating on a pilot basis, that use alternative educational methods for teaching children on the autistic spectrum, one of which is CABAS in Kilbarrack, Dublin. The CABAS teaching method employs a comprehensive application of behaviour analysis to schooling approach. While children are awaiting a suitable educational placement, the Department may sanction home tuition as an interim measure, if appropriate.
In 2001, a programme to extend education services through the month of July in the case of special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism commenced. The Deputy may be interested to know that future teacher allocations for pupils with special needs will be made in the context of a new weighted system which I announced recently. An additional 350 teacher posts are being provided to facilitate the introduction of the new system. The new system will involve a general weighted allocation for all primary schools to cater for pupils with higher incidence special educational needs, for example, those with borderline mild and mild general learning disability, specific learning disability, and also those with learning support needs. It will also allow for individual allocations in respect of pupils with lower incidence special educational needs, including those with autism.
312 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if a special needs assistant will be granted to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 4; and if they will be given the maximum support. [20568/04]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers currently has an enrolment of 50 pupils and the staffing complement consists of a principal, 11 mainstream class teachers and 14 full-time special needs assistants. The application for additional resources for the pupil in question is being considered in light of the current resources at the school and the recommended level of support as outlined in the report of the Special Education Review Committee, SERC. The recommended pupil teacher ratio for schools designated for physically disabled children is 10:1 and the recommended ratio for SNA support is one SNA for every class. A decision relating to the application will be conveyed to the school authorities shortly.
313 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if urgent assistance will be given to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8 by granting the €5,000 to fund their July programme at Enable Ireland, Sandymount, Dublin 4. [20569/04]
View answerAs previously confirmed, the July education programme is available to schools catering for pupils with autism and severe and profound general learning disabilities. The provision to include other categories of disability in the programme has not been developed at this time. The school to which the Deputy refers is categorised as a special school for pupils with physical disabilities and therefore does not fall within the remit of the current July programme. I regret that it is not possible to provide grant assistance in this instance.
314 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will approve the application for change of base school for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20570/04]
View answerI am aware that an application to change the base for the learning support post referred to by the Deputy has been received by my Department.
My Department proposes to devise clusters in respect of allocations to be made under the weighted model of teaching allocations. The school's request will be considered in the context of these clustering arrangements.
