The school attended by the named person has access to the service provided by the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS. As the person had already been assessed by psychologists and other professionals in the health sector, it was not considered necessary for NEPS to carry out a further assessment.
The information contained in the professional reports that were initially supplied to my Department did not comply with the stringent requirements for eligibility for resource teaching. As a result of concerns about safety, however, NEPS made an interim recommendation for support from a special needs assistant, which was sanctioned.
I understand that additional information that was later supplied to my Department confirmed the eligibility of the person for resource teaching hours. A recommendation has now been made to my Department's special education section which has allocated resource hours to the person and has so notified the school.
The new system of resource allocation to which the Deputy refers 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.
The new system will also allow for individual allocations in respect of pupils with lower incidence special educational needs. The person named is eligible for such an individual allocation and the new system will not affect this provision.
