Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017
335. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the annual budget for a post-primary school (details supplied) in County Leitrim, in particular, special needs funding and its specific purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37340/17]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy is an ETB school.
ETB schools are not funded directly by my Department but are funded via budget allocations provided to each ETB. ETBs are responsible for allocating funding to each of the schools under their remit.
Each Education and Training Board (ETB), including the ETB of the school concerned, has a responsibility to ensure that maximum value is obtained from the funding provided to them. ETBs are afforded considerable flexibility in the use of resources to meet the needs of individual schemes. Current funding payments are made to ETBs as part of a block grant that also covers ETB overheads and other activities apart from the second-level programme.
Separate to the block grant funding and with regards to special needs funding there are two relevant grants; the Special Class Grant and an Assistive Technology Grant.
With regard to the Special Class Grant, enhanced capitation payments are made for all students attending special classes in mainstream schools and is issued from the ETB Non Pay subhead.
Students enrolled in special classes must have a formal assessment of disability. Special class sizes are based on the pupil-teacher ratios as recommended in the SERC Report 1993 ranging from 11:1 to 6:1. The enhanced capitation grant for Special Classes is provided to the ETB for the approved students and the ETB in-turn disburse the grant to the schools. The approved numbers apply on a school by school basis and are not transferable to other schools within the ETB.
With regards to the Assistive Technology grant, the purpose of the Assistive Technology scheme is to provide grant-aid to schools to allow them to purchase the type of specialist equipment which has been recommended by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) as being essential for pupils who have been diagnosed as:
(i) having a serious physical disability
(ii) and/or sensory or communicative disability to the extent that their ability to communicate through the medium of speech or writing is materially curtailed
(iii) where it is clear that existing equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs without unduly depriving other children of access to the equipment.
(iv) where without such equipment it will not be possible for such children to access the school curriculum.
Where a school is under a particular ETB, payment is made directly to the ETB in question who will then forward the payment to the relevant school.
If the Deputy requires further information the ETB may be contacted directly for further details.
