Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2012
212 Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to identify the person who determines the allocation of resource hours to individual children with additional educational needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9174/12]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teaching hours to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.
All mainstream Primary schools have been allocated permanent additional teaching resources under the General Allocation Model to cater for the learning support/resource teaching needs of children with high incidence special educational needs, such as mild/ borderline mild learning difficulties or for specific learning disability. Allocations in respect of all other applications by schools for resource teaching hours for children with special educational needs are determined by NCSE Special Educational Needs Organisers, in the context of my Departments criteria for the allocation of such support.
213 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will support an urgent family case (details supplied). [9192/12]
View answerI have previously advised the Deputy of the role of the appropriate state agencies in providing support to the child to whom he refers. I am advised that the relevant agencies including the National Educational Welfare Board and the National Council for Special Education continue to be positively engaged with the family of the child in question.
