Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 November 2016
228. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timeframe for the usage of the low incidence list as a reference point for the distribution of educational support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36259/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory role under the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 to provide me with policy advice in relation to matters concerning the education of persons with special educational needs.
The NCSE identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable, because access to the range of professional assessments required for the diagnosis of low incidence disabilities is not always readily available to those who cannot afford to access them privately.
The NCSE has also advised that the current model can lead to unnecessary labelling of children from a young age.
The NCSE has proposed a new resource teaching allocation model which will, when introduced, remove the formal requirement for diagnostic assessment to access additional support and which will provide resources to schools based on school profiles.
Details of the recommendations contained in the NCSE Working Group policy advice on ‘A Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for Students with Special Educational Needs' are available at http://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Allocating_resources_1_5_14_Web_accessible_version_FIL.pdf.
As part the recent Budget announcements, I announced that following development and piloting over the past number of years, a new model for the allocation of teaching resources for children with special educational needs will be implemented from September 2017.
An additional €18 million will be provided in 2017 to provide for around 900 resource teacher posts.
Further details regarding implementation of the new model will be announced in the coming months.
