Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 September 2011
13 Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to ensure that a child (details supplied) will not lose their place in the local school due to the lack of special needs assistant posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18229/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, for allocating special needs assistants to schools. The NCSE has advised all mainstream schools of their special needs assistant allocations for the current school year, taking into account the care needs of qualifying pupils attending the school. It is expected that before they request any review of their allocations, schools will be in a position to demonstrate they have made every effort to manage their allocation of special needs assistant posts to best effect. I understand that in the individual case referred to by the Deputy, the NCSE is engaging with the school concerned regarding a possible special needs assistant allocation for the child in question. The NCSE will take into account the efforts already being made to manage the pupil's behaviour and the existing special needs assistant allocation that has been made to the school.
I thank the Minister for his helpful response to this question. The question of whether the Department of Education and Skills is able to maintain its current policy in this area is central in this context. Is it in a position to continue to provide special needs assistance to children with particular needs and abilities, including those with Down's syndrome? I want to refer briefly to an issue regarding special needs assistance that arose during an episode of "Prime Time" this week. I visit schools in my constituency of Dublin Mid-West on a regular basis as part of my work as a Deputy. I have been to a number of schools this week. I met a principal who informed me that he feels the structure of special needs services in this country is working very well. Notwithstanding the particular issues that arise from time to time, I want to tell the House that in my experience, the structure of the service is working very well. I know the Minister is sympathetic about those issues and is looking into them carefully. While emphasising that we have a very good special needs assistance service, I want to mention an issue that arose in the meeting I had earlier this week. I was told by a principal that the cut-off date for applications is causing problems. He said that some officials tend to focus on the numbers rather than the particular issues or circumstances of the children. Perhaps we can look at the cut-off dates as we go along.
I will look into that matter for the Deputy. Public representatives on all sides of the House are petitioned by constituents who have genuine concerns about their children and the allocation of teaching hours. There are just under 10,500 special needs assistants in this country — the number is limited by the reserve — and they service approximately 18,000 pupils. It is a matter for schools to allocate those resources. The allocation of hours can change. It is not the case that there is a special needs assistant for every child with special needs in a school. The needs of such children vary as they develop and mature and their conditions change. That is not always part and parcel of the full picture. I will take into account what the Deputy has said. He has given me the details of the school in question.
I thank the Minister.
