Jonathan O'Brien
Question:454. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which her Department will publish a plan on the way aspects of the EPSEN Act may be implemented. [42897/14]
View answerTuesday, 11 November 2014
Questions (454, 459)
Jonathan O'Brien
Question:459. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 164 of 1 October 2014, her Department's estimate of cost of full implementation of the EPSEN Act 2004. [42966/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 459 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has published a Plan for the Implementation the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act.
This report, which was published in 2006, made recommendations which suggested that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235m per annum, across the education and health sectors, would be required to fully implement the EPSEN Act. My Department's opinion is that the level of investment required would be greater than that envisaged in the NCSE report. However, a total estimate of this amount has not been quantified. Further consideration of this issue would also have to take account of pricing adjustments in the period since the publication of the NCSE report.
In light of the very difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved in fully implementing the EPSEN Act, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of Act.While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has published a number of policy advice papers which make recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, and which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act.
These reports include the NCSE policy advice on Support Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools (2013) and The Report of the Working Group on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for pupils with Special Educational Needs (2014).
It is intended to bring into effect many of the good ideas contained in the EPSEN Act, on a non-statutory basis initially, through policy developments across a range of areas, in conjunction with NCSE policy advice.