Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023
163. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to ensuring a first-class education experience for learners with a disability through the provision of capital investment, funding for core costs and students’ extra-curricular activities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40818/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
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).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been 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.
For the first time ever there will be 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.
For 2023, the NCSE funding will see an increase of over 50% in staffing levels in the NCSE. This will provide for an additional 161 staff. This level of investment, of close to an additional €13m in the NCSE, will ensure that they can expand as required, to increase their capacity to deliver real and meaningful supports for children, families and schools who support children with special educational needs.
There has also been significant additional investment in the National Education and Psychological Service (NEPS) with a particular focus on supporting children with special educational needs in our special schools and classes. Their budget has been increased by €2.9 million, providing for an extra 54 professional, technical and support staff.
There are a range of additional supports designed to support children with special educational needs, including;
The school transport scheme for children with special education needs which provides free school transport to eligible children and can include the provision of additional transport assistance such as escorts or the provision of specific or individual transport arrangements.
The assistive technology scheme where funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. All equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex learning needs who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment.
To offer longitudinal support to children who are deaf or hard of hearing, the visiting teaching service under the NCSE is available. This service provides qualified teachers, who have particular skills and knowledge of the development and education of children with varying degrees of hearing loss to support the child, the school and parents.
In addition, the home tuition scheme provides funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for;
(a) Early educational intervention for children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria
(b) Students with special educational needs seeking an educational placement in a recognised school
(c) Students, enrolled in schools, with a significant medical condition, or school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school.
It should be noted that home tuition is provided as an interim measure and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement.
My department has also developed school building guidelines based on the principle of universal design to ensure that children and young people can access school buildings and attend school with their peers.
The preferred approach is that children are educated in school settings where children have access to fully qualified teachers, individualised education programmes, special needs assistants, school curriculum with the option, where possible and appropriate, of full or partial integration and interaction with student peers.
These supports and modes of study, support the aim of my department in ensuring every child is allocated a suitable school placement appropriate to their needs.
I want to assure you 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.
