Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2004
5 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of applications for resource teachers and special needs assistant resources awaiting a decision within his Department; the steps he is taking to address the backlog and to provide the supports needed by children with special needs in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5366/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications for special needs resources received between 15 February 2003 and 31 August 2003 are being considered at present. More than 5,000 such applications were received. Priority was given to cases involving children who were starting school last September. All these new entrant cases were responded to and we continue to respond to emergency applications.
The processing of applications is a complex and time-consuming operation. However, my Department is endeavouring to have this process completed as quickly as possible and my officials will then respond to all applicant schools. The balance of more than 4,000 applications has been reviewed by a dedicated team comprising members of my Department's inspectorate and the national educational psychological service. These applications are being further considered in the context of the outcome of surveys of special needs provision conducted over the past year or so. Account is also being taken of the data submitted by schools as part of the recent nationwide census of special needs provision.
Arrangements for processing applications received since September 2003 will be considered in the context of the outcome of discussions on a weighted system of allocation of resource teaching support. In this context, my officials have initiated discussions on the matter with representative interests. At this stage, it would be premature to anticipate the outcome. However, the basic purpose of the review is to ensure that each school has the level of resources required to cater for its pupils with special educational needs. Pending the conclusion of discussions with the representative interests, schools are advised to refer to circular 24/03, which issued in September 2003. This circular contains practical advice on how to achieve the most effective deployment of resources already allocated for special educational needs within the school.
I am aware of the pressures on that section of the Department. Deputy Enright and I met its officials late last year. Can I take it from the Minister's reply that applications between 15 February and 31 August 2003 have been dealt with and reviewed in the Department? Are they ready to be sent to the schools or are they being delayed for some reason? The Minister will be aware of the concern of parents awaiting special needs resources for young children given that early intervention is so crucial. If the decisions have been made in the Department and the review is complete, can the Minister not simply give the sanction and allow those children to get the resources they need?
I have a copy of circular 24/03. Are applications after 31 August being delayed until the discussions with interested parties about the weighted system have been completed?
The Deputy is generally correct. Individual applications from between 15 February and 31 August have effectively been processed in the Department at this stage. However, there is a second part of the process which is still being carried on, that is, the assessment of the resources available to the schools concerned. We conducted an audit of the provisions available to schools at the end of last year. The results of this are being processed in the Department. The second half of the picture, therefore, is to see where resources are needed within the system. We accept that the individuals may have a need but we must now establish whether the resources are already in the school and if the need can be dealt with from within the school's current resources.
That is the reason I refer to circular 24/03. To put it bluntly, the system we had in operation in the past only added more resources with little reference to what might have gone through the system. There was a situation where special needs assistants and resource teaching hours were available within the system but the children for whom they were made available had passed out of the school and the resources were never checked again. We are now trying to match the resources within the school to the needs of the young people who have applied to the Department.
With regard to applications after September 2003, we are in discussions about a weighted system with various groups and interested parties. This would mean that we could automatically provide the resources for schools from the start of the school year. The schools would be as aware of the resources they will have as they are of the number of teachers they will have and will be able to cater for the special needs automatically, particularly the less severe special needs. The schools would know from September how many resource hours, resource teachers and so forth they will have. We are anxious to finalise those discussions because there is no point appointing people and then removing them from the system again.
The time for Priority Questions has expired.
Is the Minister saying that because there might be extra resources in some schools, other children who need special needs assistance will have to wait? That is unacceptable. I am aware of the need to get value for money.
I have a duty and responsibility to ensure that every child with a genuine special need will have his or her needs met as quickly as possible. The only way to do that is as I am doing now.
The time for priority questions has expired.
All applications are genuine. Delete the word "genuine".
I have reports which the Deputy has not seen. I accept that the applications are genuine and made in the best spirit but it is a fact that there is over-resourcing in the system at present.
They will all have to wait now.
