Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2023
74. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if her Department is dealing with any applications from second-level schools in Tallaght for additional autism classroom accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41673/23]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is dealing with one application from a second level school in the Tallaght school planning area, St Aidan's Community School, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, for additional autism classroom accommodation. My Department has agreed a brief with the school with respect to the provision of this accommodation.
Additionally, over the last number of months my department has approved and is in the process of delivering special education accommodation at the following schools:
- Mount Seskin Community College in Tallaght - Two classrooms for students with special educational needs
- Old Bawn Community School Tallaght - Two classrooms for students with special educational needs
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classrooms and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
The NCSE is responsible for planning and coordinating special education provision at both a local and a national level and advising my Department in this regard. In recent years my Department and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school-year.
Through this alignment and integration of NCSE and Departmental planning and forecasting processes at both national and local level, my Department works to ensure that specialist education places come on stream to meet emerging demand on a timely basis. The active collaboration of school communities is essential in this regard.
The planning process involves the NCSE establishing current and anticipated demand for special education provision locally and nationally. Through its local network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (or SENOs), the NCSE establishes demand for special classes on an ongoing basis at a local level. The local SENO engages with parents, local schools, HSE officials and other stakeholders to determine demand.
Additionally, short, medium and long term planning is undertaken at national and regional level based on projected future population demographics and the average percentage of school going population requiring special class places. The future population demographics is linked with my Department’s demographic analysis of future mainstream school place requirements, thereby enabling an integrated approach.
The information gathered by the NCSE at a local level on demand for special education placements is collated at a national level to identify areas of potential unmet demand. This in turn informs the long term forecasting of demand for such provision, over a rolling 5 year period, which in turn facilitates planning for special education placements in special classes and special schools.
Utilising all this information, the NCSE and my Department work closely to plan how best to address this identified unmet demand in those areas in an integrated way, such as utilising suitable existing or new accommodation, as well as the resourcing requirements for schools. This is an ongoing process, with forecasts being continually updated to ensure that special education provision is put in place when and where required. The requirements for special classes at schools in Tallaght will continue to be kept under active review in that context.
