Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
471. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education to provide details on the provision of a modular unit for a school (details supplied) for the provision of an additional ASD classroom given the current demand in south Tipperary; when this school will be provided with a modular unit; the plans to increase provision of ASD places in south Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14399/24]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question has submitted an application for capital funding, under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme for one modular special education needs classroom.
The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes. The capacity at other schools in the area is also considered as part of the assessment of any accommodation needs.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.
The Department engages intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, an analysis of available school accommodation, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.
390 new special classes – 254 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this current school year.
Of these 14 are in Tipperary, 5 at primary level and 9 at post-primary level. This brings to 120 the number of special classes in County Tipperary, 76 at primary level and 44 at post-primary level.
Planning for special classes and special school places in County Tipperary and nationwide is currently underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. The locations of new classes for 2024/25 will be confirmed by the NCSE shortly.
In general, demographics have been falling at primary level and are due to continue to decrease. Therefore, the Department considers it prudent to maximise the use of existing spare accommodation capacity at primary level in the first instance, before considering any applications for further accommodation needs. This is in line with public spending requirements. In relation to the provision of primary special classes, the shared preference of both the Department and the NCSE is to use and reconfigure existing school accommodation to provide special classes. Given the number of primary special classes available already and the falling demographics, it is also likely that most of the new additional special classes may be required in larger population centres in a local school planning area.
To date, it has not yet been confirmed by the NCSE regional team that a class is required at the school in question for the school year 2024/25 and in that context, the application for additional accommodation has not been approved.
