Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
681. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that are being taken to ensure that a proper level of resource teaching is made available to pupils in a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13969/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support to schools to support children with special educational needs and additional care needs respectively.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. Details of resource teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations which have been made to each school for 2014/15 are available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.
In addition, all Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs through the General Allocation Model of additional teaching supports.
It is a matter for schools to monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance. The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is decided and managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs. All schools have been asked to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March, 2015. The NCSE will consider all applications which have been made by schools, following which allocations will be made to qualifying schools. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
