 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dáil Debates & Questions
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
06 April 2011 Parliamentary Questions
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS Deputy Simon Harris (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Skills the level of funding which has been provided to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, in each of the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; if he will provide details on the interaction and structures in place between him and the NCSE in terms of the delivery of special needs education in Ireland; if the NCSE has been instructed not to allocate new resources to children with special needs as this is a concern of many parents; Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has provided funding to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) as follows: €8,515,000 in 2007, €8,219,671.50 in 2008, €9,250,000 in 2009, €9,652,000 in 2010 and €2,254,000 to date in 2011.The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004 (EPSEN Act) in 2005. The NCSE, through its regional Special Educational Needs Organisers, has responsibility for processing resource applications for children with disabilities who have special educational needs, at primary and post primary level in accordance with policy parameters established by the Department of Education and Skills (DES). The NCSE also responsibility for planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services for students with special educational needs, in accordance with DES policy.The NSCE is continuing to allocate resources for children who have special educational needs. The NCSE recently issued a circular to all schools advising of the SNA allocation process for the 2011/2012 school year. A key feature of the amended scheme will be to provide for an annual allocation of SNA support to eligible schools. The NCSE are considering applications for additional SNA support in the context of this process for the 2011/12 school year. Schools are currently engaging with the NCSE in this regard ahead of the next school year and the NCSE will review the SNA staffing requirements for schools, taking into account all of the students who will be attending school from September next and any new students that the school are intending to enrol.The NCSE is also continuing to process applications for Assistive Technology support and school transport for children with special educational needs. With regard to the allocation of resource teaching hours, the DES has requested the NCSE to provide data on the numbers and rate of application for additional resource teaching hours to date this year so that this information can be considered in the context of the Departments Employment Control Framework obligations.The NCSE has also been asked to pause sanctioning additional resource teaching support hours to allow for collection and consideration of this data by the DES, in conjunction with the NCSE. It should be noted that this is a temporary suspension of the allocation process in order to allow for consideration and analysis of this issue prior to any decisions being made. In the interim, children who are eligible for resource/ learning support teaching will receive this tuition through the existing learning support provision in schools, either through the General Allocation Model or existing Learning Support provisions. Deputy Simon Harris (FG): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the national housing strategy for persons with disabilities; Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Willie Penrose): The draft housing strategy for people with a disability sets out a framework for the proposed delivery of housing for people with disabilities through mainstream housing policy. The strategy has been developed in conjunction with a National Advisory Group, chaired by my Department and involving the Department of Health and Children, the HSE, local authorities, organisations representing people with disabilities and other relevant stakeholders, including the National Disability Authority.The draft housing strategy is at an advanced stage and I intend, with my colleague the Minister of State for Disability, Equality and Mental Health, to complete this work and to seek Government endorsement for the strategy before the Summer. Deputy Simon Harris (FG): asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made towards Ireland’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Alan Shatter): I can inform the Deputy that it is the Government’s intention to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure that all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are being met. As the Deputy may be aware, Ireland does not tend to become party to treaties until it is first in a position to comply with the obligations imposed by the treaty in question, including the amendment of domestic law as necessary.The ongoing implementation of our National Disability Strategy in many respects already comprehends many of the provisions of the Convention. In addition, the Inter-Departmental Committee on the UNCRPD monitors the remaining legislative and administrative actions required to enable the State to ratify the Convention. The Committee has developed a programme on which work is progressing to address the matters that need to be aligned with the UNCRPD. Deputy Peter Mathews (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to establish a dedicated executive position within the Health Service Executive that will be responsible for implementing a Vision for Change; his plans to publish a comprehensive implementation plan for a Vision for Change setting out deliverables, a time line and stating the persons responsible; if he will raise funding of mental health services to 8% of the health budget by 2016; his plans to enact legislation which protects the rights of persons with disabilities and binds public and private sector employers and service providers to operate with regard to the principle of a Vision for Change; Minister for Health and Children (Deputy James Reilly): The implementation of ‘A Vision for Change’ is primarily the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE). In 2009, the Board of the Health Service Executive approved an Implementation Plan for ‘A Vision for Change’ for the period 2009-2013. In November 2009 the HSE also appointed an Assistant National Director as the national lead to ensure the delivery of mental health services in line with legislation and Government policy. The Revised Estimates for the Public Services for 2011 indicate expenditure of €920 million by the HSE on the delivery of mental health services; this represents almost 7.5% of the total health budget (€12,312 million) for this year. It excludes expenditure on mental health services provided in primary care. It is estimated that 90% of mental health problems are dealt with in primary care and some 30% of people who attend primary care have a mental health problem.The Government is committed to a review of the Mental Health Act 2001. The review, which will commence in 2011, will be informed by a human rights approach. My officials are currently engaged with the Health Research Board on the international evidence on a human rights based approach to mental health legislation. In addition, a wide ranging public consultation will be undertaken where we will seek the views of the public, the relevant stakeholders and interested groups/parties. The consultation will of course be advertised in the Press. Deputy Dominic Hannigan (L): asked the Minister for Health and Children his support for a foundation (details supplied); if he will honour the commitment made by the previous Minister for Health and Children to fund this foundation through 2011; the funding level he envisages for 2012 for the foundation; Minister for Health and Children (Deputy James Reilly): I assure the Deputy that the Health Service Executive will continue to fund the Jack & Jill Foundation in 2011. The Health Service Executive is working with the Jack and Jill Foundation to identify and prioritise the needs of the children on a case-by-case basis. The HSE is prepared to work closely with the foundation to ensure no child is hospitalised for want of adequate home support, provided by Jack and Jill or the HSE. The previous Minister’s guidance to the Health Service Executive in developing its service plan for 2011 was that there should be a particular focus on protecting services to vulnerable groups. The Minister requested the Executive to give favourable treatment to disability services by setting a lower savings target for disability services of a maximum budget reduction of 1.8%. Decisions in relation to funding for the health services in 2012 will not be made until later this year as part of the 2012 Estimates process for the public services. Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way children presenting with low incident special needs will receive adequate and set down resources if the appointment of resource teachers is frozen; Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): The Department of Education and Skills (DES) is required to ensure that the overall allocation of teaching posts does not exceed the targets set out in the Governments Employment Control Framework. The DES had planned for a certain amount of increased growth in teacher numbers across the school sector in 2011, in line with increased demographic growth. In respect of resource teaching hours for children with special educational needs, allowance was made for growth in 2011 over and above normal demographic increase levels. In 2010 the total number of Whole time Equivalent (WTE) posts provided for resource hours teaching (including under the General Allocation Model) was approximately 9,600 WTE posts. By comparison approximately 9,950 WTE posts are provided for 2011. There has therefore not been a reduction in the overall number of resource hours/posts being provided for in 2011.The DES has requested the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to provide data on the numbers and rate of application for additional resource teaching hours to date this year so that this information can be considered in the context of the Departments Employment Control Framework obligations. The NCSE has also been asked to pause sanctioning additional resource teaching support hours to allow for collection and consideration of this data by the DES, in conjunction with the NCSE. It should be noted that this is a temporary suspension of the allocation process in order to allow for consideration and analysis of this issue prior to any decisions being made. In the interim, children who are eligible for resource/ learning support teaching will receive this tuition through the existing learning support provision in schools, either though the General Allocation Model or existing Learning Support provision. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan (L): asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has liaised with the Department of Health and Children in response to a proposal from a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13 for a proposed applied behavioural academy for children on the autistic spectrum in Dublin North-East; Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): I wish to advise the Deputy that a proposal for an academy for children with autism has been received by officials in my Department who will revert to the organisation in question shortly. However it is important to emphasise that the proposal will be considered in the context of my Department’s policy in this regard.My Department’s policy is focused on ensuring that all children including those with autism can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. This facilitates access to individualised education programmes, fully qualified professional teachers who may draw from a range of autism-specific interventions, including ABA, special needs assistants, and the appropriate school curriculum with the option where possible of full/partial integration and interaction with other pupils. As each child with autism is unique it is important that children have access to a range of interventions so their broader needs can be met.My Department’s policy is to provide for children with special educational needs, including autism, to be included in mainstream schools unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated. Some children may be supported in a special class attached to a mainstream school. These students have the option, where appropriate, of full/partial integration and interaction with other pupils. Other children may have such complex needs that they are best placed in a special school. Students with special educational needs have access to a range of support services including additional teaching and/or care supports. In special schools and special classes, students are supported through lower pupil teacher ratios. Special needs assistants may also be recruited specifically where pupils with disabilities and significant care needs are enrolled.Reflective of the important role of continuing professional development, my Department has put in place a training programme for teachers in autism-specific interventions including Treatment and Education of Autistic Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), Picture Exchange Communications System (PECS) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) through the Special Education Support Service.The Deputy will be familiar with the ABA pilot scheme which was funded by my Department for the past decade. All of the centres which participated in this scheme have been granted recognition as special schools for children with autism. These schools will operate in line with my Department’s policy. I am pleased to update the Deputy that following their recognition the new schools are currently progressing well in the transitional phase. Eight schools have opened and the remaining five are scheduled to open shortly. It is my intention to continue to support this transitional process.The pilot scheme was established in the absence of a network of school-based special classes for children with autism which is now available. The Deputy will be aware that the establishment of this network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country to cater for children with autism has been a key educational priority in recent years. In excess of 430 classes have now been approved around the country at primary and post primary level, including many in special schools. The need to liaise with the Department of Health in the context of the proposal for an academy for children with autism will be considered as part of the examination of the proposal. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Inclusion
Ireland, Unit C2, The Steelworks, Foley Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
Tel: 01 8559891 Fax: 01 8559904 Email: info@inclusionireland.ie |