Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1037. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education the number of children at both primary and post-primary level who are in need of, but who do not have a special educational needs place for September 2022 in the Dublin south west area. [39677/22]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs (SEN) to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.
It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education and Inclusion, for my Department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The Deputy will be aware of many of the strategic initiatives already put in place, particularly in the last 2 years, to support and expand SEN provision in schools throughout the country. An additional 300 special classes have opened in the current school-year providing 1,800 new placements. A further 315 special classes are already planned for 2022/23. Two new special schools opened in Cork and Dublin last September with two further special schools to open in these areas during the next school-year.
In 2022, we will spend over 25% of our total educational budget on providing additional supports for children with SEN. This represents an increase of over 60%, in total expenditure, since 2011.
We are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Continuing to add capacity in schools to support SEN provision is a key priority with a particular emphasis at post-primary level.
The Department’s Geographic Information Management System (GIS) will continue to support a strategic and coordinated approach to planning and delivery of SEN provision. This includes “real-time” data on capacity across the school system.
The Department is working actively with the NCSE and other key stakeholders including School Patrons and Management Bodies to provide additional special classes and special school places for the 2022/23 school year.
I am happy to say that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are educated in mainstream classes. My Department does not retain a separate register of these individual children, nor does the NCSE.
NCSE is however aware of a number of children who are currently seeking special class and special school places.
NCSE advise that just over 100 children, nationwide, remain without an appropriate special educational needs placement for the coming school year.
The NCSE initially advised that an additional 80 special class places at primary level and an additional 49 special school places are required in Dublin for September 2022.
Due to intensive engagement between the NCSE, school authorities and patrons and the sanctioning of a number of special classes, the shortfall of special class places has reduced from 80 to 56. It is expected that this figure will reduce further with the additional 9 special classes sanctioned by the NCSE last week and this week.
The Deputy will also be aware that my Department has actively engaged in reviewing and updating the relevant legislation at this time. The Government recently approved the text of an Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022. This legislation provides for a truncated and more streamlined Section 37A process and also places additional duties on schools to co-operate with the NCSE in relation to making additional provision for children with special educational needs.
Every support will be made available to progress additional special education capacity, in the shortest possible timeframe with a particular focus on Dublin, including the specific areas referenced by the Deputy. The NCSE is in ongoing contact with the families of children who have not yet secured a special class or special school placement for the 2022/23 school-year.
I want to reassure you also that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
