As I have mentioned, the review is ongoing and we expect it to be completed by mid-2023. It will involve a consultative element. There will be consultation with relevant stakeholders and we will be inviting them to participate. It is really important that we stay on top of technological advances all the time and that we are forward thinking with the technological assistance we can give to children with additional educational needs. Examples include laptops with modified software and audiological support for student…

I will, of course, keep the Deputy informed. In County Clare also, there are 47 special classes. Two were opened this September. There are also 15 special classes at post-primary level, two of which were opened this year. A number of the children in those special classes in County Clare and throughout the country probably will be looking for assistance. It is important to stress the school management authorities must apply and qualify for the assistive technology scheme. As Deputy Carey stated, a student must be di…

The summer programme has been described by, for example, the Department inspectorate as life-changing, given how important it is for children with additional needs. Indeed, the report of the Department’s chief inspector referred to post-Covid regression and how that is likely to persist for a period, and we need to take that into account when we talk about the importance of the summer inclusion programme. This year, the Minister and I announced the summer programme for pupils and were in a position to secure an add…

I completely agree with the Deputy that these workers have an awful lot to offer. That is why we have allowed that flexibility for schools to hire staff from the early years sector. This year, for example, provision was made to include newly qualified teachers, undergraduate student teachers and final year students as well as those from the early years sector. We want to expand the potential of the workforce. I am working with the Ministers, Deputies Harris and O’Gorman, to make sure that is done. For the Deputy's …

Absolutely. One of the primary issues with which I have been tasked is to try to encourage and make it easier for schools to participate in the summer provision. One of the reasons we secured €20 million in the budget is so that €40 million is already set aside for next year. Staff will, therefore, have time to plan in each individual school, particularly special schools in which children have more complex needs. We have also undertaken other measures to improve the situation and the attractiveness of providing a s…

I thank the Deputy. The provision of special classes throughout the country is another issue with which I have been extremely seized. I secured €2.6 billion in this budget to provide some of those places to children with additional needs. We have increased the budget by 10% from last year. In fact, the special education budget is 27% of the entire education budget, which is an acknowledgement of the significance of special education. That includes the setting up of special classes. In total, the National Council fo…

I thank the Deputy for his acknowledgement of Doonbeg National School. I commend his and Mr. Crowley's efforts to secure a sanction from the NCSE for the opening of a special class. It is wonderful to hear that the school has had a positive experience. There is not a school I have visited with a special class that has not had a positive experience. Some of them go on to open two or three special classes. One of the things we are doing, which is pertinent to the Deputy's question around forward planning, is that we …

I will answer Deputy Dillon's question first. Mr. John Kearney is the CEO of the NCSE. The budget provided €13 million for the NCSE to hire this staff. I know Mr. Kearney is actively pursuing that as quickly as possible because he badly needs the staff in order to make sure we can assist parents and families that have a child with an additional need who is looking for a special class. I know he will be doing that in early course. I note Deputy Ó Murchú's remarks on Coláiste Chú Chulainn. I met the principal, Thomas…

The Deputy will be aware that the DEIS programme is the Department of Education’s policy response to the issue of educational disadvantage. The home school community liaison, HSCL, scheme is an integral element of the DEIS programme. It is a school-based intervention provided to DEIS schools to address the needs of pupils at most risk of educational disadvantage. The role of the HSCL co-ordinator is to work primarily with the salient adults in the child’s life, in order to empower them so they can better support th…

It is important that the Deputy raised this question because we have to consider these matters, which the Department does. The Deputy conceded that the scheme comes under the DEIS programme and that it is only for schools within that programme at present. It is also important to point out that special schools receive more in capitation than a DEIS school receives in combined funding of capitation and DEIS. The special schools have substantially more teaching and SNA staff than similarly sized DEIS schools, so even …

I want to reassure the Deputy that I know this is being looked at and that it has been looked at. I will bring the Deputy's contribution on further analysis back to the Department. The staffing ratios in special schools are significantly lower than in mainstream schools and that is intended to ensure the needs of their students can be met effectively. The Deputy is correct that they are our most vulnerable children, above and beyond mainstream education. These are special schools and we have about 8,500 children in…

My understanding is that approximately €4 billion is going into the building of schools through the planning and building unit in the Department of Education. If the Deputy wants to bring his query to me, I will have a conversation with the Minister for Education about it.

I thank Deputy McGrath for raising an important question. The Minister, Deputy Foley, is working extremely hard on this issue. The Deputy mentioned children with additional needs. They are being prioritised in terms of ensuring they have places on school buses. People who have applied in regard to concessionary tickets and also first applications are being looked at as a priority. The Department is working closely with Bus Éireann on this matter.

I take this opportunity to thank my officials in the Department of Education, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Donohoe, for their support in respect of special education, which is a priority of this Government. The Tánaiste appointed me to this role. This is my third budget as the very first Minister of State with responsibility for special education. In that time, I have increased the budget by 40%, which is significant. This budget in particular is si…

I thank the Deputy. The school transport scheme at present caters for more than 121,000 children, 15,500 of whom have special needs. The Deputy will be aware that those availing of the scheme for this term will have it for free as part of the €67 million back-to-school package agreed by Government recently. I understand the submissions to input into the review closed in February of this year but if the Deputy wishes to give me his views on expanding eligibility, I can pass them on to the steering group.

A review of the school transport scheme is under way. If the Deputy wishes to speak to me, I can give her submission to the working steering group.

The planning and building unit within the Department of Education is involved in the designing and building of schools. If the Deputy gives me the details of the project, I can check with that unit and come back to him on it.

I want to take a moment to inform the House of some good news on the provision of special classes in Dublin. Senators will be aware that the Department wrote to 14 schools a few weeks ago that had been identified as having space and capacity to open a special class for the coming academic year. I am delighted to announce that out of the 14 schools that were initially contacted, seven more classes have been sanctioned by the National Council For Special Education, NCSE, to open in the coming term. That brings the to…

-----in September and I hope that will ease the pressure for parents and children in the area. Senator Warfield tabled the amendment and I thank him for his indulgence in sharing this good news. I will now deal specifically with his amendment. While I understand the amendment, I have to point out a number of issues around it. As the Senator mentioned, appropriate educational provision for children with additional needs is absolutely critical and is something to which the Government is committed. It is not, unfortun…

It is interesting to hear the different contributions. I thank Senator Mullen for his contribution and I will deal with it momentarily. I thank Senators Dolan, Seery Kearney and Carrigy for their contributions also. I should be clear that this is a two-step process. Co-operation, by its nature, is not 100% binding. Most people would be aware that the vast majority of schools co-operate, through the patrons mentioned by the Senator, and open special classes. As Senator Carrigy pointed out, not all do, and in those p…