Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:124 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he will put in place to ensure a school place in respect of a person (details supplied). [17953/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 29 June 2011
Ceisteanna (114)
Freagraí scríofa
I wish to advise the Deputy that the enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing of applications for enrolment in schools. Once a child has been enrolled in a school, the school can then contact the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for special educational needs supports. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support, which now includes a requirement for the NCSE to have regard to an overall cap on the number of SNA posts.
The Deputy may be aware that Circular 0042/2011 provides details of the staffing arrangements which will apply for special schools for the coming school year. This Circular outlines that, other than for schools which have declining enrolments, the existing levels of SNA support will be maintained in special schools for the coming school year, with a review to take place in the Autumn. The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which assists parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB will try to help parents to find an alternative school placement if their child has been unable to secure a placement to date.