Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 November 2013
142. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when this Deputy may expect a reply to an interim letter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48228/13]
View answerI will arrange to have a full response issued to the Deputy regarding this matter by the end of this week.
I wish to firstly advise the Deputy that the enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.
Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, a parent may appeal the refusal to enrol under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998. In such cases the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Where an appeal under Section 29 is upheld, the Secretary General of my Department may direct a school to enrol a pupil.
My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
Central to my Department's approach is the aim that all children with special needs, including those with autism, should be provided with a school based provision through a mainstream class placement with supports, a special class placement or a placement in a special school which caters for children with autism.
You will be aware that children with autism present with a wide range of needs. Some children are capable of being fully integrated into mainstream schools without additional teaching or care supports. Others are able to attend mainstream schools but need additional teaching and/or care assistance. Many are best enrolled in autism-specific classes or special schools where more intensive and supportive interventions are required. Some may move from one setting to another as they get older and differing needs/strengths/abilities emerge.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for assisting parents to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. Parents may contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) directly to discuss their child's special educational needs and to seek assistance in identifying placement options, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
In addition to the NCSE, the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB will try to help parents to find a school placement if their child has been unable to secure a school placement to date. The NEWB can be contacted at National Educational Welfare Board, National Headquarters, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01-8738700.
