Special Education Review

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 January 2014

Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Questions (157)

Clare Daly

Question:

157. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the National Council for Special Education literature review will not be published until 2015 in view of the fact that those tendering for the project were informed that it should be completed by January 2014; the reason he is not requesting a systematic review; the reason, given professional criticisms of the 2001 task force report, tendering parties were told they would not be allowed to re-evaluate evidence presented in that review. [2320/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The NCSE is currently undertaking two separate pieces of work around Autism. One is a systematic literature and country review of evidence relating to Educating Persons with Autism. The second is the preparation of policy advice on the educational provision for children with Autism which is being prepared at my request. The NCSE has advised that it expects the literature review to be published this Autumn. The first draft was expected by January 2014. This was set out in the tender and has not changed. I am advised by the NCSE that their tender did in fact request a systematic review of the evidence and further that the purpose of the current NCSE review is to provide up to date evidence since their last literature review which was published in 2009. I also understand that the deadline of 2015 relates to the publication of the policy advice paper and not to the literature review.