Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017
557. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to fund speech and language classes in primary schools with a high concentration of need for speech and language therapies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28107/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpeech and Language Therapy Services are under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Health and the service is provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to introduce a new in-school Speech and Language Therapy service, creating stronger linkages between parents, teachers and Speech and Language Therapists. The programme also commits to bring the number of Speech and Language Therapists up to 1,102 (a 25% increase).
The Programme for a Partnership Government also contains a commitment to examine the adequacy of present policies and provision, and their scope for improvement, particularly in relation to speech and language difficulties and early intervention.
Officials at my Department are currently engaging with colleagues in the Department of Health and the HSE to develop a plan for the implementation of this commitment. The implementation plan will identify the actions to be taken and the specific timeframe for the delivery of this commitment.
In the interim, my Department continues to provide an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD). This includes provision for the establishment of special classes for pupils with SSLD in primary schools. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including applications to establish special classes for SSLD. Applications meeting the criteria for establishment are approved by the NCSE.
The NCSE continues to monitor and review the requirement for special class places in particular areas and has capacity to establish such new special classes where necessary, subject to the willingness of schools to open classes. The NCSE welcomes expressions of interest from schools in opening special classes to meet the demand for special class provision. In deciding on the location of a special class SENOs take into account both the present and the future potential need for special class provision, and they must also be satisfied that the special class is sustainable and appropriately located. SENOs liaise with relevant professionals in their area to arrive at an informed decision.
The opening of a Speech and Language class is, however, contingent on the HSE being in a position to provide Speech and Language therapy to the students in the class. The criteria for enrolment in a special class for pupils with SSLD is set out in my Department's Circular 0038/2007. It should be noted, however, that pupils who are not enrolled in a special class for SSLD and who meet the criteria for Specific Speech and Language Disorder, as outlined in my Department's Circular, may qualify for additional teaching support where he/she is enrolled in mainstream school.
At present, pupils with mild speech and language difficulties may qualify for supplementary teaching support from within the school's general allocation of learning support/teaching support. It is a matter for individual schools to use their professional judgement to identify pupils who will receive this support and to use the resources available to the school to intervene at the appropriate level with such pupils.
A new model for allocating Teaching Resources to schools to support students with Special Educational Needs, as recommended by the NCSE, will be implemented with effect from September 2017. The revised allocation model replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support and high incidence special educational needs, and the NCSE allocation process which provided additional resource teaching supports to schools, to support pupils assessed as having Low Incidence disabilities. Allocations of special education teaching resources were issued for all schools in March 2017. My Department’s Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools, which were published on 7th March 2017, set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools. Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have also been published.
The new model will provide a greater level of autonomy for schools in how to manage and deploy additional teaching support within their school, based on the individual learning needs of pupils, as opposed to being based primarily on a diagnosis of disability.
As such, pupils with Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD) may attend a local school with additional teaching supports with speech & language therapy provided through the HSE primary care service, or attend a special class for pupils with SSLD, with speech and language therapy services provided in class by the HSE.
