Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 March 2019
173. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address a matter (details supplied) relating to children with special needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12259/19]
View answerThe policy of my Department is to ensure that all children with special educational needs can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is a separate statutory body whose functions include planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs in conjunction with schools and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
It is open to any school to make application to the NCSE to establish a special class.
In deciding where a special class in an area should be established, the NCSE take account of the current and projected demand and the available school accommodation both current and planned. In this regard, the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) may approach individual schools to discuss the matter with a view to finding the optimal location in terms of convenience and sustainability.
When the NCSE sanction a special class in a school, the school can apply to my Department for capital funding to re-configure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the class and/or to construct additional accommodation. There are standard arrangements in place for the funding, design and delivery of these projects.
Parents/Guardians who may need advice or are experiencing difficulties in locating a school placement, including special class placement, should contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) who can assist in identifying an appropriate educational placement for their child, using the contact details available at http://ncse.ie/seno-contact-list.
As the matter raised by the Deputy refers to a particular area, I have arranged for the Deputy's question to be forwarded to the National Council for Special Education for direct reply.
