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Special Educational Needs

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 October 2020

Thursday, 8 October 2020

Ceisteanna (194)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

194. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the guidelines available for schools to facilitate students who require individual resource support. [29373/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circulars 0013/2017 and 007/2019 for primary schools, and 0014/2017 and 008/2019 for post primary schools, set out details of the model for allocating special education teachers to schools.

The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile. Schools have discretion in how these resources are deployed.

The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to give a fair allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the level of need in each school.

Schools are frontloaded with resources, based on each school’s profile. The allocations to schools include provision to support all pupils in the schools, including where a child receives a diagnosis after the allocation is received by a school, or where there are newly enrolling pupils to the school.

Guidance for schools on how they should identify children for additional teaching support and as to how to utilise their SET allocations has been provided for schools. This guidance is available at:

https://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Special-Education/Guidelines-for-Primary-Schools-Supporting-Pupils-with-Special-Educational-Needs-in-Mainstream-Schools.pdf

and

https://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Special-Education/Guidelines-for-Post-Primary-Schools-Supporting-Students-with-Special-Educational-Needs-in-Mainstream-Schools.pdf

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