Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2018
293. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps necessary for an organisation to become recognised as a patron body for providing school patronage; if this process would be different if the organisation wished to provide patronage to special schools for children on the autism spectrum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43748/18]
View answerA patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new primary or post-primary school is required. This patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons. Parental preferences for patronage and language of instruction, from parents of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process.
The patronage process for new schools is overseen by an external independent advisory group, the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG). Following their consideration of my Department’s assessment reports, the NSEG submits a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision. The assessment reports and the NSEG recommendations for all such patronage processes are made available on my Department's website.
An Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) has been developed by my Department to provide objective information to all parents. Parental preferences were previously collected based on direct engagement with patron bodies. Under the new OPPS system, patron bodies complete an application form at the beginning of the process. Information in relation to applicant patrons is provided to parents on the OPPS website which allows them to make an informed choice about their preferred model of patronage for their child’s education.
In general, my Department's policy is to integrate children with special educational needs into the mainstream primary school system wherever possible. Many of our new schools have special education units included within them. However, special schools are also necessary to meet the educational needs of pupils whose needs cannot be adequately catered for in a mainstream primary school. The need to establish a new special school would be identified by the National Council for Special Education in conjunction with the Department. The necessity would arise where there is a specific and quantified need that could not reasonably be met through existing provision. Any process to establish a new special school would have to take account of the views of parents who are the key stakeholders with regard to their child.
