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Dáil Debates & Questions
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May 18 2010 Parliamentary Questions
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS Deputy James Reilly (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children her views on reports that disability service providers in the West are struggling to provide basic services due to funding cuts; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that respite care will have to be cut, two community houses will have to be closed, three multidisiplinary posts cut and day services charged for and reduced from some persons; Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): My Department and the Health Service Executive recognise the valuable contribution disability service providers make in the West. We are also very much aware of the challenges service providers are experiencing. In this context, it is very important that all providers work creatively and co-operatively with the HSE to ensure the maintenance of the maximum level of services within the funding resources available. I have been advised that in 2008 / 2009 there was an ongoing requirement on the HSE to review expenditure across all areas and to ensure that maximum efficiencies were achieved in service delivery. The HSE set targets for all statutory and non-statutory organisations to achieve efficiency targets in both years equal to 1% of their budgets in 2008 and 2% in 2009. In the context of the general economic situation and the financial pressure on the disability service budgets in 2009, the HSE requested service providers to review all non-frontline expenditure, in particular staff travel, expenditure on conferences and seminars, advertising and ensuring maximum value from the procurement of goods and services. There was also a requirement on all providers to review the way in which services are delivered e.g. opportunities for amalgamating services or back office supports, reduction or elimination of expenditure on overtime and/or agency staffing. In 2010 there is a requirement to achieve further efficiencies in disability services with the national objective of achieving a minimum of 2% efficiency savings from non frontline services. To date, respite services throughout the West are being reviewed on an ongoing basis, and the majority of Local Health Offices have reported that services are being maintained. In all areas, Disability Managers are working closely with agencies to maintain respite at 2009 levels as far as possible, thereby ensuring that those with the most urgent need for respite services are prioritised. The HSE is aware that a non-statutory service in Galway has proposals to close two houses as part of a planned reconfiguration of its residential services. This is in line with the current Disability Policy to relocate people to appropriate accommodation. This is an enhanced service and no current service users will be without a service in the future. I have not received a report from the HSE about the necessity to cut multidisciplinary therapy posts in any of the Local Health Offices in the West, however I will ask the HSE to contact the Deputy directly on this issue. With regard to charges for day services being implemented by non-statutory service providers, the HSE has no evidence that this is happening. However, the Brothers of Charity in Galway are exploring the option of introducing charges for day services but have not introduced such charges as yet. The HSE in Galway will monitor this situation. There is no evidence to show that numbers attending day services have decreased in 2010. The HSE will make available additional funding as part of the €19.5m demography funding available nationally to provide additional capacity for new Day, Residential, Respite/PA/Home Support services. Of the €19.5m allocated nationally, a total of €4.57M has been allocated to develop disability services in the West. This will equate to 24 new residential places, 92 new day places and 32,200 home support hours. The HSE has advised that it will continue to work in partnership with all of the agencies in the West, involving the managers of services where issues arise. This includes engagement regarding their requirements to maintain core service delivery. The HSE accepts that disability service providers in the West are struggling to manage the impact of the service efficiencies it is required to implement as outlined above. The HSE are confident that if services are examined, efficiencies and savings can be sustained without impacting on the provision of basic core services.
Deputy David Stanton (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 476 of 19 January 2010, the result of the discussions between her Department and the Health Service Executive in relation to meeting the information gathering and administrative requirements of the Disability Act, in particular section 13(2) which relates to the reporting on the aggregate unmet needs of the children assessed under the Act; Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): Discussions are continuing between officials of my Department and the HSE in order to identify the most suitable information gathering arrangements to meet the needs of individual children defined in terms of desired outcomes, to meet the administrative obligations imposed by the Act and also to ensure that reliable service planning data is collected. The challenges involved in complying with the requirements of section 13 of the Act in relation to information gathering and reporting on aggregate need have been set out in reply to Parliamentary Question No 476. The Department’s focus in these discussions is to ensure that, while complying with the requirements of the Act, as few clinical resources as possible are diverted from direct interventions with children to information gathering.
Deputy Pádraic McCormack (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of adults and children residing in residential centres for people with disabilities; the list of these centres; when she will introduce legislation to regulate and inspect residential centres for people with disabilities; Deputy Liz McManus (L): asked the Minister for Health and Children when residential centres for persons with disabilities will be subject to inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority; Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): I wish to advise the Deputies that, due to industrial action affecting the Health Service Executive, it is not possible for the Executive to supply current information in relation to the number of adults and children residing in residential centres for people with disabilities. As the Deputies will be aware, “National Quality Standards: Residential Settings for People with Disabilities”, which relate to adult services have been published by HIQA. These standards will provide a national framework for quality, safe services for persons with disabilities in a residential setting. Given the current economic situation, to move to full statutory implementation of the standards, including regulation and inspection, presents significant challenges at this time. However, notwithstanding the difficulties of immediate statutory implementation, my Department, the HSE and HIQA have agreed that progressive non-statutory implementation of the standards will now commence, and that they will become the benchmark against which the HSE assesses both its own directly operated facilities and other facilities that the HSE funds. A number of preliminary processes are already in place within the HSE to facilitate this work. For example, compliance with the HIQA standards is included in the Service Level Arrangements being implemented between the HSE and service providers. As part of the ongoing review of Service Level Arrangements, service providers will now be required to demonstrate compliance with the standards through the provision of audit outcomes. I am informed by the HSE that the majority of service providers have already commenced a review of their services within the context of the HIQA standards and many service providers have also achieved external accreditation over the past number of years. In addition, arising from the Ryan Commission report, the Minister for Health and Children will shortly be bringing detailed proposals to Government with regard to the protection of vulnerable adults with disabilities who are currently in institutional care. Children with disabilities in generic residential centres under the Child Care Act 1991 are covered by the standards and inspection regimes already applying to those centres. There are a number of other centres providing residential or respite care to children with disabilities. Children who reside in these centres are not in the care of the State, although they are cared for by the State. The majority of these centres are run by voluntary organisations funded by the HSE and are not included in the inspection regime under the Child Care Act 1991. In relation to the children with disabilities in these other residential centres, the Ryan Commission report recommends that “all services for children should be subject to regular inspections in respect of all aspects of their care”. The implementation plan for the recommendations of the Ryan Commission report contains a commitment that the Health Act 2007 will be commenced to allow the independent registration and inspection of all residential centres and respite services for children with a disability by December 2010. In addition, I am assured by the HSE that it has a robust system in place to deal with any complaints made in relation to the treatment of persons with disabilities in residential care. This includes ensuring that all HSE funded service providers of residential care have appropriate complaints procedures that are in line with HSE policy.
Deputy David Stanton (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the discussions she and her officials have had with the Health Service Executive in relation to the progress to date of Part 2 of the Disability Act with regard to the number and timescale in providing assessments and service statements for children aged zero to five years; if she is confident with the progress made in relation to this section of the Act; Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney): Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 commenced for children aged under 5 years with effect from 1st June 2007. Significant work was undertaken by my Department and the HSE in preparation for the commencement of the Disability Act in respect of children under the age of 5 including: the development of standards for the assessment of need process; the publication of Regulations and the Commencement Order; the appointment of Assessment Officers responsible for the coordination of the Assessment of Need; and the appointment of Liaison Officers responsible for the provision of Service Statements. Meeting the statutory deadlines on providing assessments and service statements has proved challenging to the HSE. Accordingly, my Department and the HSE have agreed a set of performance indicators relating to the implementation of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 for children under the age of 5 years which have been included in the 2010 HSE National Service Plan. These are reported on a quarterly basis in the HSE’s performance monitoring reports. In addition, there is ongoing liaison between officials of my Department and the HSE to monitor overall progress on all aspects relating to the implementation of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 for children aged under 5 years.
Deputy Seán Fleming (FF): asked the Minister for Finance the cost of the disabled drivers appeals board scheme for 2008 and 2009; the number of appeals that were received, granted or refused; the number of appeals that were still on hand at the end of the year; the cost of the appeals granted; the average cost of each appeal granted; the average time to process appeals; Minister for Finance (Deputy Brian Lenihan): The Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal is hosted by the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), Rochestown Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin on behalf of the Department of Finance. The cost of the Board has been recouped to the NRH since 2005 from the Department of Finance Vote. The amounts recouped to the NRH was €320,323 for 2008 and €371,467 for 2009. These amounts include the salary costs of the Chairperson of the Board who also works as a consultant with the NRH and Beaumont Hospital. The number of appeals that were received, granted, refused and the number of appeals still on hand at the end of each year, is as follows: No. of appeals No. of appeals No. of appeals No. of appeals received granted refused on hand at year end 2008 354 60 319 49 2009 405 37 202 62 In addition to the Chairperson, two doctors from a panel of doctors attend each Appeal Board sitting. The average waiting time for an appeal, where the appellant can travel to Dublin, is approximately four to six weeks, down from six months in 2007 and for around two years in mid 2005.
Deputy Terence Flanagan (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will deal with the following matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): It is not possible to disaggregate the amount spent on the quality of disability services from the overall total spent on disability services annually. As the Deputy may be aware, “National Quality Standards: Residential Settings for People with Disabilities”, which relate to adult services have been published by HIQA. These standards will provide a national framework for quality, safe services for persons with disabilities in a residential setting. Given the current economic situation, to move to full statutory implementation of the standards, including regulation and inspection, presents significant challenges at this time. However, notwithstanding the difficulties of immediate statutory implementation, the Department of Health and Children, the HSE and HIQA have agreed that progressive non-statutory implementation of the standards will now commence, and that they will become the benchmark against which the HSE assesses both its own directly operated facilities and other facilities that the HSE funds. The Minister for Health and Children will shortly be bringing detailed proposals to Government with regard to the protection of vulnerable adults with disabilities who are currently in institutional care. Children with disabilities in generic residential centres under the Child Care Act 1991 are covered by the standards and inspection regimes already applying to those centres. There are a number of other centres providing residential or respite care to children with disabilities. Children who reside in these centres are not in the care of the State, although they are cared for by the State. The majority of these centres are run by voluntary organisations funded by the HSE and are not included in the inspection regime under the Child Care Act 1991. In relation to the children with disabilities in these other residential centres, the Ryan Commission report recommends that “all services for children should be subject to regular inspections in respect of all aspects of their care”. The implementation plan for the recommendations of the Ryan Commission report contains a commitment that the Health Act 2007 will be commenced to allow the independent registration and inspection of all residential centres and respite services for children with a disability by December 2010.
Deputy Denis Naughten (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will lift the staff moratorium at a charity (details supplied) in County Galway which is having a direct impact on the retention of respite services; the reason for the different policy on the moratorium for section 38 and section 39 funded agencies; Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney): I understand the agency in question is funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE) under section 38 of the Health Act 2004. Existing employment control arrangements for the health services include the HSE and section 38 agencies. The Government has made clear that a critical part of its strategy to restore the public finances is to achieve sustainability in the cost of delivering public services relative to State revenues. To help achieve this goal, it will be necessary to restructure and reorganise the public service and to reduce public service numbers over the coming years. This requires that the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the health service will continue to apply until the numbers have fallen to the level set out in the Employment Control Framework for the health sector. The Framework for 2010-2012 gives effect to the Government decision on employment policy in the public sector and provides that there will be a net reduction in employment to 2012. This includes a target reduction in numbers in 2010 to achieve the overall reduction of 6,000 from March 2009 to the end 2012 and consequential pay roll savings. Based on numbers reductions already achieved in 2009, the net target reduction to end 2012 is 4,560 WTE (or 1,520 per annum). Similar to 2009, there are a number of grades exempted from the moratorium to maintain key front line services and to support the development of policies in relation to disability, mental health, cancer, and child care. Grant aided agencies (funded under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004) are not directly affected by the pay adjustments provided for under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No 2) Act 2009. Section 39 agencies are not public service bodies as defined in that Act and their employees are not public servants. Therefore, the Employment Control Framework 2010-2012 (including the moratorium on recruitment) does not cover section 39 agencies. However, the grant funding of Section 39 Agencies is subject to the general efficiency savings for the health sector provided for in the Budget. Accordingly, it is entirely appropriate that Section 39 Agencies and other HSE funded voluntary providers take appropriate measures to ensure that they continue to provide the same level of service in 2010 as previously, notwithstanding the reductions in their funding. It is the responsibility of each individual employer to decide exactly what mix of actions should be taken to achieve this goal, to take appropriate legal and other advice, to consult and inform its employees/trade unions as necessary and to manage the HR and industrial relations implications of its decisions.
Deputy Leo Varadkar (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of staff within the health service in terms of whole time equivalents employed prior to the introduction of the moratorium; the estimated number currently employed; the target point at which point the moratorium will end; Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney): In order to implement savings measures on public service numbers, the Government introduced a moratorium on recruitment, promotion, or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade, with effect from 27 March 2009. The Employment Control Framework for 2010-2012 gives effect to the Government decision on employment policy in the public sector. It provides that there will be a net reduction in employment to 2012. This includes a target reduction in numbers in 2010 to achieve the overall reduction of 6,000 from March 2009 to the end 2012 and consequential pay roll savings. Based on numbers reductions already achieved in 2009, the net target reduction to end 2012 is 4,560 WTE (or 1,520 per annum). Similar to 2009, there are a number of grades exempted from the moratorium to maintain key front line services and to support the development of policies in relation to disability, mental health, cancer, and child care. The numbers of relevant grades cited in the question are set out in the table below: Numbers (WTE excld. career break) employed in the public health service 31/12/2008 31/03/2009 31/12/2009 31/03/2010 Medical grades 7,763.55 7,788.97 7,737.26 7,717.08 Nursing grades 38,107.92 38,789.00 37,466.03 37,720.50 Physio grades 1,448.91 1,464.21 1,468.83 1,486.54 Porter grades 1,642.43 1,650.95 1,525.54 1,526.81 Theatre Technician/Porter/Attendant 49.16 51.34 50.75 49.71 Domestic grades 3,359.48 3,307.25 3,250.25 3,173.88 Nurses Aides 167.34 174.32 157.12 155.41 Notes: (i) Medical grades includes all the grades of the Medical/Dental grade category excluding the dental grades. (ii) Student nurses are included in the 2008 employment ceiling on the basis of 3.5 students equating to 1 wholetime equivalent. The employment level for nursing grades (adjusted for student nurses on the above basis) is 38,084 WTEs (Dec 08). (iii) In the case of some agencies, data for March may not have been returned due to industrial action. Where this occurs, data has been rolled forward from the previous census. The numbers of staff employed in the public health service are set out in the table below: Numbers (WTE excld. career break) employed in the public health service 31/12/2008 31/03/2009 31/12/2009 31/03/2010 111,025.30 111,769.97 109,752.90 109,754.74 (1) Excludes Home Helps. (2) Student nurses are included in the 2008 employment ceiling on the basis of 3.5 students equating to 1 wholetime equivalent. The employment level adjusted for student nurses on the above basis is 111,001 WTEs (Dec 08). (3) In the case of some agencies, data for March may not have been returned due to industrial action. Where this occurs, data has been rolled forward from the previous census. In addition, a full list of the grades in the public health service and the numbers employed in each (for the dates above) will be forwarded to the Deputy.
Deputy Olwyn Enright (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the communications that have taken place between her Department, the Health Service Executive and an organisation (details supplied) regarding the decrease in the funding to the organisation; if her attention has been drawn to the effect such a funding decrease will have on this organisation; her views on same; Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): I wish to inform the Deputy that the Minister for Health and Children and myself will attend a meeting with the Jack and Jill Foundation later this month. I understand that the HSE will be represented at that meeting. The Department of Health and Children is undertaking a review of the efficiency and effectiveness of the health and personal services provided to people with disabilities. This review is part of the Government’s Value for Money and Policy Review programme. The review will focus, in particular, on the scope for achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness from the substantial resources expended on services for people with disabilities, and will support the future planning and development of such services. In the current economic situation, there is a need to ensure that all developments are planned and implemented to give best value for money and with the most appropriate mix of national, regional and local services.
Deputy David Stanton (FG): asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 108 of 10 February 2010, when he plans to reach a decision on the proposals to improve taxi services for persons with disabilities submitted by the Commision for Taxi Regulation to his Department to incentivise the upgrading of the wheelchair accessible fleet in view of the new standards for accessible taxis; his further plans to introduce subsidies to allow for the upgrading of wheelchair accessible taxis and hackneys in view of the already low base of accessible vehicles in operation; the funding he plans to make available under the subsidy scheme; Minister for Transport (Deputy Noel Dempsey): The proposal by the Commission for Taxi Regulation (CTR) for a scheme to incentivise the provision of wheelchair accessible taxis and hackneys is currently being considered by the National Transport Authority (NTA) given its wider public transport remit and in terms of the options for future funding of the proposed scheme. Among the potential funding options to be considered include the use of surplus funds held by the Commission, Transport 21 accessibility funding currently held within the NTA purse or a combination of both. Officials from my Department will be meeting with both the NTA and the CTR in the coming week to discuss these options and I will consider the CTR proposals within the context of these deliberations and within the overall public transport priorities.
Deputy Leo Varadkar (FG): asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons employed in the Human Rights Commission, the Legal Aid Board, the National Disability Authority, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and any other agency under the remit of his Department; the number of persons in terms of whole-time equivalents employed prior to the introduction of the moratorium; the estimated number currently employed; the target number at which point the moratorium will end; Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Deputy Dermot Ahern): My Department is responsible for staffing its Head Office and a large number of agencies under its remit, including the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. Separately, the Human Rights Commission, Legal Aid Board, National Disability Authority, An Garda Síochána, Irish Prisons Service, Courts Service and Property Registration Authority recruit their own staff. The whole-time equivalent number of staff employed in these bodies prior to the Moratorium on recruitment and promotion, and currently, is as follows: Body Staffing number prior to Moratorium Current staffing number Irish Human Rights Commission 16 12 Legal Aid Board 274 258 Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission 94 89 National Disability Authority 41 37 An Garda Síochána (attested members) 14,552 14,523 Garda Civilians 2,109 2,077 Irish Prison Service 3,619 3,538 Courts Service 1,081 1,020 Property Registration Authority 695 615 The question of the lifting of the Moratorium is a matter for the Department of Finance in the first instance.
Deputy P. J. Sheehan (FG): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress he has made to date on a housing strategy for persons with mental health issues; Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): The Government’s Housing Policy Statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, reflects the commitment in Towards 2016 to develop a national housing strategy for people with a disability which will have particular regard to the housing needs of people with a mental health disability. The strategy, on which work is advanced, is being developed in conjunction with a National Advisory Group, chaired by my Department and involving the Department of Health and Children, the HSE, social partners and other relevant stakeholders, including the National Disability Authority. It is expected that the work of the National Advisory Group will be completed shortly.
Deputy John Deasy (FG): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding provided to Waterford City Council under the housing adaptation grant for people with a disability scheme in each of the past five years to 2009; the amount allocated for 2010; the number of houses in Waterford city adapted under this scheme in each of those years; the number that will be adapted under the scheme in Waterford city in 2010; Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): My Department’s involvement with the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. The grant schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The new suite of grants replaced the discontinued Disabled Persons Grant Scheme, the Essential Repairs Grant Scheme and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme, administered by the Health Service Executive. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed to each of the various grant measures from within the allocations notified to them by my Department and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation. Details of the annual Exchequer allocations to Waterford City Council and the number of grants paid under each scheme for the period 2005 to 2009 are set out in the table below. Data for 2005 and 2006 relate to the discontinued Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes. Data for 2007 onwards include the new Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for People with a Disability, the Housing Aid for Older People and the Mobility Aids Grant Schemes. Suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Year Allocation €
2005 254,221 2006 304,866 2007 293,958 2008 481,126 2009 580,000 Housing Adaptation Grant No. paid 2005 — 2006 — 2007 — 2008 — 2009 8 Housing Aid for Older People No. paid 2005 — 2006 — 2007 — 2008 48 2009 117 Mobility Aids Grant No. paid 2005 — 2006 — 2007 — 2008 — 2009 24 Disabled Persons Grant No. paid 2005 42 2006 41 2007 34 2008 25 2009 10 Essential Repairs Grant No. paid 2005 4 2006 4 2007 13 2008 1 2009 - On 5 March 2010 my Department notified Waterford City Council of an Exchequer allocation of €680,000 for the grant schemes this year. Deputy James Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if there has been a change in policy whereby the guideline that children should be performing at or below the second percentile in order to access to a specific learning disability Unit is now being strictly adhered to; her views on whether boards of management should be able to evaluate each individual case on its own merits in order that vulnerable children are not written off by the system; Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): I wish to confirm for the Deputy that the qualifying criteria for pupil enrolment in specific learning disability (SLD) special classes has not changed. The enrolment of a child in such classes is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of the school concerned. Schools are required to observe Department policy in enrolling children in these classes. This includes having a professional assessment confirming that the child’s attainment levels meets the Department’s criteria and a recommendation for special class placement. Schools are eligible for resources for SLD classes when the pupils enrolled meet the Department’s criteria. These classes operate at a reduced pupil teacher ratio and pupils attending theclasses attract a special increased rate of capitation grant. Schools are also required to liaisewith the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) in the context of any proposedplacements in such classes.The Deputy is aware that a key focus and priority of my Department is to provide forresources in schools to support pupils with special educational needs, including those with aSLD. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department implemented a General AllocationSystem of learning support/resource teachers to mainstream primary schools in September2005. This model ensures that mainstream primary schools have the additional teachingresources already in place to enable them cater for children with high-incidence special educationalneeds, including pupils with SLD. A comprehensive circular, SP ED 02/05, was issuedto schools to provide guidelines and advice on the manner in which they should use theresources that have been allocated to them to best effect.The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local SENOs, is responsiblefor processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educationalneeds support. The NCSE operates within the Department’s criteria in allocating such support.The responsibility also includes identifying appropriate educational placements for childrenwith special educational needs. All schools have the names and contact details of their localSENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child’s special educationalneeds, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie. Deputy Brian Hayes (FG): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the final outcome of the National Council for Special Education review of special needs assistant positions in primary and secondary schools; if she will provide an update of figures released by the NCSE on 31 March 2010 relating to the withdrawal of SNA positions in schools; Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has published its report on the Review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Allocation to Schools April 2009 — March 2010 on its website www.ncse.ie. A small number of schools remain to be reviewed and the NCSE has indicated that these will be reviewed by the end of the current academic year. A final breakdown of the outcome of the review will be made available when all schools have been reviewed. I wish to confirm for the Deputy that my Department is very supportive of the SNA scheme. It has been a key factor in both ensuring the successful integration of children with special educational needs into mainstream education and providing support to pupils enrolled in special schools and special classes. The SNA scheme will continue to be supported and the NCSE will continue to support schools, parents, children and teachers and resources will continue to be allocated to schools to meet children’s needs in line with my Department’s policy. Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of appeals received by the National Council for Special Education to date regarding the withdrawal of special needs assistant positions from schools; the number of appeals processed to date; Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department’s criteria in allocating such support. The Deputy will also be aware that the NCSE has introduced an appeals process whereby schools and parents, where appropriate, may seek to appeal the decision of a SENO in relation to the allocation of resources. Information regarding the appeals process is available on the NCSE’s website at www.ncse.ie. The NCSE administers this appeals process without recourse to my Department. The information requested by the Deputy is therefore not available within my Department. I have arranged for the details supplied by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputy John Deasy (FG): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants employed in primary, special and post primary schools in Waterford City in each of the past five years to 2009; the number employed in primary, special and post primary schools in Waterford City; Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): The information requested by the Deputy on the number of special needs assistants employed in schools in Waterford city is not readily available in the requested format. As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO) for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department’s criteria in allocating such support. The allocation for any school and any adjustments to that allocation depends on a number of factors such as the number of pupils with care/medical needs leaving, the number of new pupils, the changing needs of the pupils and any surplus identified. Furthermore, schools can make applications at any time with the result that the individual situation of any school can change and allocations are not static. The Deputy may wish to liaise directly with the NCSE in the context of his enquiry. I want to take this opportunity to emphasise that children with special educational needs will continue to receive an education appropriate to their needs. The NCSE will continue to support schools, parents, children and teachers and resources will continue to be allocated to schools to meet children’s needs in line with my Department’s policy.
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Inclusion
Ireland, Unit C2, The Steelworks, Foley Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
Tel: 01 8559891 Fax: 01 8559904 Email: info@inclusionireland.ie |