Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023
338. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if her Department can provide any form of funding, one-off or reoccurring, to an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29779/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following.
My Department provides grant funding to state-recognised schools to ensure that all children, including children with special educational needs have access to an appropriate education. These resources are generally not allocated to bodies other than recognised schools.
My Department understands that the organisation referred to by the Deputy provides social and therapeutic supports to children and vulnerable adults. The provision of such supports is normally under the remit of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
For 2023, the spend by my Department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs in our schools next year.
For the first time ever we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
