Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 March 2014
123. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will enact in full the provisions of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10982/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that a significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs.
In light of the very difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of EPSEN.
In 2012, my Department requested the NCSE to provide policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational needs.
The NCSE report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools has now been published and is available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie. Whereas the report recommends that the EPSEN Act be fully implemented as soon as possible, the report also states that the NCSE recognises that the current economic climate makes it unlikely that the Government will be able to implement this recommendation in the short to medium term. While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has made a number of recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act.
The NCSE have, as recommended in the policy advice, established a Working Group to develop a proposal, for consideration, for a new model for the allocation of teaching supports for children with Special Educational Needs, based on the educational profile of a school.
The Working Group will report its findings before the end of Spring 2014.
