Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 July 2019
241. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements which will be made for a child (details supplied) that is due to start primary school and has no place in an ASD unit locally. [27477/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory function to plan and co-ordinate the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
This includes the establishment of special class and special school placements in various geographical areas where there is an identified need.
The NCSE ensures that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.
Individual school boards of management are responsible for the establishment of special classes. It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE to establish a special class. In deciding where to establish a special class in an area, the NCSE take account of the current and projected demand and the available school accommodation both current and planned. In this regard, the SENO may approach individual schools to discuss the matter with a view to finding the optimal location in terms of convenience and sustainability.
When the NCSE sanction a special class in a school, the school can apply to my Department for capital funding to reconfigure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the class and/or to construct additional accommodation.
The number of ASD special classes has more than doubled in the last 5 years from 511 in 2014 to 1,196 across the country now. Provision in special schools has increased from 6,848 placements in 2011 to 7,872 this year. The NCSE has informed my Department that they intend to establish approximately 156 new ASD special classes nationally for 2019/20 school year to meet currently identified need.
Details of all special classes for children with special educational needs are available by county on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.
From time to time, the NCSE identifies local areas where additional special class provision is required. In those circumstances, Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) work with the schools and families concerned to resolve the issues involved.
As the matter raised by the Deputy refers to an individual child, I have arranged for the Deputy's question to be forwarded to the National Council for Special Education for direct reply.
