I propose to take Questions Nos. 554 to 556, inclusive, together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the number of special educational needs organisers (SENOs) that may be employed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is subject to the consent of the Minister for Education and Science and the Minister for Finance under Section 25(1) of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004. The deployment of SENOs throughout the State is a matter for the NCSE, subject to overall approved staffing limits.
As the Deputy will be aware there are more than 70 Special Education Needs Organisers, or SENOs, employed by the NCSE. They are deployed on a nationwide basis, with each SENO having responsibility for the primary and second level schools in a particular area. The establishment of the SENO service has received very positive feedback.
Placing organisers in the locality enables them to work with the parents and the schools in a customer friendly way to ensure that children can get access to extra supports as quickly as possible. I am committed to supporting the SENO service in the excellent work that it is doing and will keep the staffing needs of the service under review in the context of other developments in the special education area.
