Update: Special Needs Teachers – Education 8th October, 2014

Uimhir:181

Ceist Pharlaiminte

Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha
To the Minister for Education and Science

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which special needs
teachers and special needs assistants are adequate in terms of numbers
sufficient to meet requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.

* For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 8th October, 2014.
Reference Number: 38453/14

Freagra

Minister Jan O’Sullivan

Despite the ongoing requirement to make expenditure savings across a range of
areas, expenditure in 2013 supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs was
some €1.3bn or approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department.

Provision includes over 11,000 learning support/resource teacher posts,
including those provided under the General Allocation model, in mainstream
primary and post primary schools providing additional teaching support to
pupils with special educational needs.  

For children for whom mainstream provision is not appropriate, placement may be
made in one of the 125 special schools which have approximately 1,000 teachers
and approximately 860 special classes and units located around the country.

This year, provision is being made for up to 10,965 Special Needs Assistants
(SNAs), of whom over 10,900 SNAs have initially been allocated to schools in
September. This is an increase of 390 posts on the previous cap of 10,575
posts. This is the highest level of SNA allocation that we have ever had. The
policy of the Government is that every child who is assessed as needing SNA
support will receive access to such support.

I want to assure the Deputy of my commitment to continue to provide appropriate
high quality resources to schools for the education of children with special
educational needs.