As Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, I welcome the positive intention of the measures contained in the Bill put forward by Senator Mullen and supported by Senators McDowell, O'Loughlin, Dolan, Ahearn and Clonan. We all agree that schools are designed to be safe places for children and staff. To protect the school community, schools are required to have a safety statement in place to identify potential hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and put appropriate provisi…

I thank the Senator for his comments regarding free books for primary school children. As Minister of State with responsibility for special education, I was particularly pleased that special schools will for the very first time get schoolbooks which, as the Senator knows, means a huge amount to children with additional needs and their families. We are really pleased about that. I thank the Senator for acknowledging it. Specifically with regard to Scoil Aonghusa, Ms Siobhan Keyes Ryan and Ms Ciara Ryan Gleeson do fa…

I will certainly speak to the Department and make sure the project manager ensures he gives the correct detail to the school authorities today. Again, I reiterate my understanding that it is ten classrooms, five of which are general classrooms, three of which are junior special educational needs classrooms and two of which are for moderate pupils. As the Senator said, however, the school has a different view. We need to make sure everyone is ad idem in their understanding. Hopefully, that meeting will help to resol…

The work is ongoing with the NCSE and the Department. There has been intense engagement with schools throughout the country to ensure that no child with an additional need will be left without an appropriate placement in September. A huge amount of work is being done on that. There has been an intense focus on forward planning in recent years, particularly around a detailed review of statistical data to ensure we can forecast demand for special classes throughout the country. We are looking at existing school accom…

As I said, in Cavan-Monaghan there are 86 special classes, 12 of which are new special classes that opened this year, one special school and nine early intervention classes. This is not to say that new special classes will not be opened for September 2023. I am glad the Deputy has notified the NCSE directly in respect of the children she mentioned. These children need to be known to the NCSE in order for them to get a place. At local level, in more general terms, the NCSE is continuing to engage with schools in reg…

I concur with the Deputy; it is extremely important. There is a particular focus on large urban areas where demand is highest. For example, we opened 94 new classes in Dublin; 65 in Cork; 23 in Limerick; and 24 in Meath. It is important to put into context that about 92% of the classes we have opened over the past three years have been for autistic children. The autistic prevalence rate we were using before was 1.55%. We now estimate that rate to be at least 3.11% and this is contributing to the increase in demand,…

I thank the Deputy for the question. As the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, me, the Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, are seized in making sure every child with an additional need has an appropriate placement in whatever school that is. The Deputy will be aware that the NCSE has primary responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with additional needs. He will also be aware that decisions on the admission of all chi…

The Deputy made very valid points. This provision I mentioned, which stems from the Act we brought in last year, is somewhat aligned to the centralised applications system referenced by the Deputy. Given the complexities involved, it is a matter that remains under review by the Department but it is something the implementation of which will take time and will require engagement by education stakeholders. Any process would have to meet the needs of parents and support schools while also ensuring compliance with the …

The Deputy will be aware that there is just one day left, I think, to input into the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, review, which may be an opportunity for the group. I have no difficulty meeting them, but if they want to input a more detailed submission they could do so through that and have their views heard. It is important that we ensure there is an appropriate placement for every child with additional needs. Some 92% of our special classes are for autistic children. The prevalence…

I thank the Deputy for his question. He has brought this matter up with me on a number of occasions. He is a real advocate for east County Cork in terms of trying to provide a special school. As he knows, there are 14 special schools in County Cork. In fact, there will be 15 when Rochestown opens in the near future. We have opened three new special schools in the last three years, two this year alone. That is not to say there is not a need for a special school in east Cork. I know the Department is aware of the mat…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and I appreciate his frustration. As he said, this has been going on for 27 years. Although this matter is not directly under my remit, I have a particular interest in it because the delivery of Gaelscoil Phádraig is being impacted by the delay in progressing the project at Ballyowen Meadows Special School. As Minister of State with responsibility for special education, that is of concern to me. I am confident that additional funding will be provided and I know that discus…

I appreciate that, no more than any other school, Gaelscoil Phádraig, which has 145 pupils, deserves to be properly housed in adequate and appropriate accommodation. I know the negotiations and discussions between the Department of Education and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform are at an advanced stage and I have been assured by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, that the issue will …

I thank the Deputy. I am glad he was in the Chamber when I was responding to the Topical Issue matter raised by Deputy Boyd Barrett. While they raised matters relating to different schools, there are similarities with respect to the reasons for the delays. I reassure the Deputy that I have been pestering various Departments and Ministers in order to get this matter resolved, as an advocate and as Minister of State with responsibility for special education. It is of great concern to me that this be resolved as soon …

As I mentioned earlier, an extra €300 million in additional funding was given to the Department of Education in 2022. It was necessary to alleviate not just the normal pressures schools face but also accelerated delivery for children with special educational needs, which, as the Minister of State responsible for special education, I recognise as extremely important, the continued inflow of Ukrainian pupils and those seeking international protection, as well as the construction costs and inflation. More funding was …

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Education (Inspection of Individual Education Plans for Children with Special Needs) Bill 2022 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for the expansion of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the attendant services provided by the NCSE, as well as the completion of the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004.". I than…

Disability.

Disability.

I thank Deputies Tully, Guirke, Joan Collins, Ó Ríordáin and Andrews for their contributions. I will briefly mention some of the issues that were addressed. Regarding the EPSEN Act, which most Deputies raised, it is important to recognise that our system looks very different from how it did in 2004. The most obvious development is the number of people working in the school system who did not in 2004. Almost 40,000 people are wholly and exclusively dedicated to looking after children with additional needs, including…

There is a review.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for Education. It provides me with the opportunity to clarify the current position in relation to the accommodation needs of Blessington Community College. A major capital project for Blessington Community College is being addressed through the Department’s construction programme. As the Deputy is aware, this project is currently at stage 2B of the architectural planning process. That is where the detailed design takes place, plann…