Vol. 541 No. 4
118 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make the necessary resources available to all schools which have lost FÁS funded classroom assistants for children with special needs in order that they may recruit replacement staff. [22954/01]
Arising from a Government decision of October 1998, all children with special needs in primary schools now have an automatic entitlement to the supports they require to enable them to function successfully. Since then the number of special needs assistants allocated by my Department to cater for special needs children in primary schools has increased from less than 300 to approximately 2,500. Further special needs assistant posts will continue to be allocated in response to professionally assessed needs.
In many cases the required support can take the form of a special needs assistant who supports the class teacher in meeting the needs of the child or children involved. My Department makes such support available in any case where the need for this service has been identified by a professional assessment of the special needs involved. My Department's commitment to the provision of special needs assistant support extends to any child who has been assessed as requiring such support, including any child who may previously have been in receipt of such a service under a community employment scheme.
All schools have been advised by my Department of the arrangements governing the allocation of special needs assistant support for children with special needs and the procedures to be followed in seeking such support.
