My Department allocates additional teaching support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and vocational educational committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Applications for such support are made to my Department by the relevant school authority. Each application is considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the pupils involved and the nature and level of support provided is determined on the advice of the psychological service.
The school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated 11 hours 20 minutes per week additional teaching support to address the needs of pupils with special educational needs attending the school. The level of additional teaching support was determined after detailed consideration of the school's application, the supporting documentation provided, including the recommendations made by NEPS, National Educational Psychological Service, and having regard to the overall level of resources already available to the school.
If the school is of the view that the prevailing level of assessed special needs within the school is such as to be incapable of being addressed from within its current allocation, my Department will be prepared to consider these concerns. Such consideration will require a clear demonstration by the school of the inadequacy of its allocation by reference to its current utilisation of its available resources. In view of this procedure being available I do not consider that a meeting with principal and parents would be of assistance at this time.
