Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 February 2005
328 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Education and Science, further to Question No. 557 of 19 October 2004, if the person (details supplied) in County Limerick is being considered for a special needs assistant. [3072/05]
View answerMy Department received an application for special needs assistant support for the pupil in question and a decision on the application will be conveyed to the school as quickly as possible.
329 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the provision of a special needs assistant for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [3073/05]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has received an application for special needs assistant support for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school at the earliest possible date.
330 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that, despite concentrations of disadvantaged children in its catchment area, a school (details supplied) in County Wexford stands to lose two of its current resource allocations under the weighted system; if she will immediately review this decision and grant full disadvantaged status to this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3074/05]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy currently has the services of five resource teachers and one learning support teacher.
The proposed new system of teacher allocation involves a general allocation to all primary schools to cater for pupils with higher-incidence SEN, that is, pupils with borderline mild and mild general learning disability and specific learning disability. The allocation is also intended to support those with learning support needs, that is, those functioning at or below the tenth percentile on a standardised test of reading and/or mathematics. I should emphasise that individual applications may continue to be made for specific resource teacher allocations in respect of pupils with lower-incidence SEN. Some 350 additional teacher posts are being provided to facilitate the introduction of the new system. I am conscious of difficulties that could arise in relation to the proposed model, particularly for children in small and rural schools, if it were implemented as currently proposed. Accordingly, I am having the proposed model reviewed to ensure that it provides an automatic response for pupils with common mild learning disabilities, without the need for cumbersome individual applications, while at the same time ensuring that pupils currently in receipt of service continue to receive the level of service appropriate to their needs. The review will involve consultation with representative interests and the National Council for Special Education before it is implemented in the next school year.
The school is included in the urban dimension of my Department's Giving Children an Even Break programme. The school is benefiting from supplementary funding under the programme to provide additional educational supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. It did not, however, qualify for additional teaching staff, based on its level of concentration of "at risk" pupils as identified through a comprehensive, independent survey of primary schools carried out by the educational research centre in 2000 to support the implementation of Giving Children an Even Break.
331 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide on a county basis in tabular form the number of children from whom a completed application for resource teaching hours awaits a decision in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3090/05]
View answer332 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide on a county basis in tabular form the number of children for whom a completed application for special need assistance awaits a decision in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3091/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 331 and 332 together.
The Deputy will be aware that with effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with disabilities who have special educational needs. In particular, it is responsible for the following: deciding on applications for resource teaching hours in respect of children with low incidence disabilities with special educational needs at primary level; deciding on applications for additional teaching support in respect of children with disabilities with special educational needs at second level; and deciding on applications for special needs assistant, SNA, hours.
Under the new arrangements, the council, through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, will process the relevant application for resources and inform the school of the outcome. It is important to note that in the case of decisions on resource teaching and SNAs, the SENO will outline the process to the school and parents, where appropriate, and will at the end of the process outline the basis on which the decision was made.
The Deputy is also aware that a review of SNA provision in primary schools commenced in September 2004 and is continuing. The review is concerned with the level and deployment of SNA posts in mainstream classes. The intention is to ensure that the level of approved SNA support in schools, and the manner in which that support is being allocated, are such as to ensure that the special care needs of pupils are being appropriately met.
For these reasons, the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. I am, however, satisfied that the establishment of the NCSE will greatly enhance the provision of services to children with special educational needs and result in a timely response to schools who have made application for SEN supports. The local service delivery aspect of the council's operation through the SENOs will provide a focal point of contact for parents or guardians and schools and will, I am confident, result in a much improved service for all.
