Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 November 2012
112. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Cavan will receive additional resource hours; the reason there has been no additional resources allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50630/12]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that, in primary schools, teaching supports for pupils with special educational needs are provided in two ways. Under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, schools are resourced to cater for pupils whose educational psychological assessment places them in the high incidence, or less complex, disability category, including children with mild general learning difficulties. Separately, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates additional resource teaching hours to schools for children who have been assessed within the low incidence, or more complex, category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05. All mainstream Primary schools have received an updated additional teaching resource allocation under the GAM this year to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs. Schools had been advised to apply to the NCSE for low incidence resource teaching support for the 2012/13 school year by 16th March, 2012 this year. Schools were notified by SENOs of their resource teaching allocation for 2012/13, based on the number of valid applications received to that point in June of this year. In addition, schools were requested to submit outstanding applications for resource teaching support for the 2012/13 school year by 5th October. The NCSE are currently in the process of advising schools of the outcome of this round of applications for resource teaching support. Resource Teaching allocations are therefore still being made to schools in respect of valid applications. Once allocations have been made, it is a matter for schools to monitor and utilise their allocation of resource teaching support, including supports allocated under the GAM, to best support the needs of qualifying pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance.
