Special Educational Needs Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2015

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

Ceisteanna (896)

Jonathan O'Brien

Ceist:

896. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of reversing the 15% cuts to resource hours in schools. [20581/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that on 21st May, 2015, I announced that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) will increase its allocation of Resource Teacher Posts to schools by over 9% for the start of the coming school year.

The NCSE will allocate 6,454 resource teacher posts to schools for September 2015, which is an increase of 554 posts -or 9.4% - since September 2014.

Even in the constrained economic circumstances we have faced in recent years, we have been able to continue to meet the needs of children with special educational needs attending our schools.

This year we have again increased the number of Resource Teachers which will be allocated to schools, keeping pace with both demographic growth and increased demand.

The NCSE has now published details of the allocations which will be made to each individual school on the NCSE website ncse.ie. The NCSE will also have a second round allocation process to respond to late enrolments, or from diagnosed disabilities emerging after the closing date for the first allocation round, to the start of the new school year.

On publishing details of the allocations for September 2015, the NCSE noted that the number of resource teaching posts which are being allocated to schools has increased by 22% since September 2013, from 5285 posts at that point to 6,454 posts for September 2015.

It is therefore clear that not only has there not been a reduction in the overall number of resource teaching posts and hours being allocated to schools, but that there has been a very significant increase in the overall allocation to schools in recent years.

The cost of adding an additional 15% to the existing allocation, which in itself represents an increase of 22% in the allocation in recent years, would be approximately an additional €71m per year.