Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2016
402. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that a person in a school (details supplied) will receive resource hours from 1 September 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8384/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teaching hours to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support, which is set out in Spec Ed Circular 02/05.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA or resource teaching support for the 2016/17 school year by 29th February 2016. The NCSE will advise all schools of their allocations for resource teaching support for 2016/17, before the end of the current school year.The NCSE continues to accept applications in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed. The NCSE will consider these applications and make further allocations to schools in respect of valid applications which have been received to September.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, while Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
Details of the manner in which a school, or parent, may appeal a resource teaching allocation decision is also available at www.ncse.ie.
As the Deputy's question relates to the allocation of SNA support by the NCSE to an individual school, I have referred this question to the NCSE for their consideration and direct reply to the Deputy.
