March 23 2010

Parliamentary Questions

• Participants on a community employment scheme in receipt of disability allowance are entitled to an increased rate of payment in respect of dependent children
• Parts of EPSEN implemented to date
• Payments for home tuition
• Numbers of Special Education Needs Organisers and applications for SNAs granted
• New system of allocating teachers in school that are over quota
• Cost of redundancies to SNAs
• Review decision to reduce numbers of special needs teachers
• Negotiations regarding ABA schools
• Garda Vetting of teachers and staff at schools
• Capital Assistance Scheme and special needs housing

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• Participants on a community employment scheme in receipt of disability allowance are entitled to an increased rate of payment in respect of dependent children

Deputy Seán Connick (FF): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if all participants on community employment schemes with dependent children are entitled to an increased rate of payment for a child dependent; if participants on a community employment scheme in receipt of disability allowance are entitled to an increased rate of payment in respect of dependent children;

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Deputy Dara Calleary): All Community Employment (CE) participants who were formerly in receipt ofJobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance or are in receipt of a lone parent type paymentsuch as a One Parent Family Payment or Deserted Wife Benefit payment and who have dependentchildren are eligible to receive from FÁS and additional allowance for a child dependent.For CE participants who are currently in receipt of disability-related social welfare payments,child dependent payments continue to be paid and administered by the Department of Socialand Family Affairs. In such cases participants receive the CE Single Adult Rate only.

• Parts of EPSEN implemented to date

Deputy Joe McHugh (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the elements of the Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act that have been implemented to date; when the Act will be fully implemented;

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): A significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have already been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. Specifically, the following sections have been commenced — 1, 2, 14(1)(a), 14(1)(c), 14(2) to 14(4), 19 to 37, 40 to 53. In the light of the current financial circumstances, it was not possible to proceed with full implementation of the Act in 2010 as had been originally envisaged. As the Deputy is aware, the commitment in the renewed Programme for Government is to develop, in consultation with stakeholders, a costed multi-annual plan to implement some priority aspects of the EPSEN Act, focussing on measurable, practical progress in education and health services for children with special needs. This process will require discussions with the education partners, as well as the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health and Children. All parts of the EPSEN legislation, which have not been commenced to date, will be considered during this process. Until this costed, multi-annual plan is prepared and finalised, the Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible for me to say when the remaining sections of EPSEN will be implemented. I wish to assure the Deputy that the Government remains committed to the implementation of EPSEN at the earliest possible date. In the meantime, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) will continue to support schools, parents and children, and teachers and special needs supports will continue to be deployed to schools in line with my Department’s policies.

• Payments for home tuition

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF): asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the delay in issuing payment to parents for approved home tuition in respect of children with special educational needs; when he expects that payment will issue;

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. Home tuition grants are paid to the parents, who in turn make payment to the home tuition provider. Payment of grant aid under the Home Tuition Scheme is made by my Department upon receipt of a completed claim form from the parent. If the claim is in order, payment normally issues within four weeks of receipt. Due to industrial action on the part of some staff in the Department of Education and Science, I am unable to provide specific details on the length of time it is currently taking to process grant payments to parents of children in receipt of home tuition.

• Numbers of Special Education Needs Organisers and applications for SNAs granted

Deputy Brian Hayes (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of special education needs organisers in each year from 2007 on a county basis; the number of applications from primary schools to special education needs organisers for additional teaching support which have been made each year since 2006 to date in 2010; the percentage of these applications which have been granted, refused or partly granted every year; the number of applications to special education needs organisers from primary schools for special needs assistance support which have been made each year since 2006 to date in 2010; the percentage of these applications which have been granted, refused or partly granted every year; the number of applications from post-primary schools to special educational needs organisers for additional teaching support which have been made each year since 2006 to date in 2010; the percentage of  these applications which have been granted, refused or partly granted every year; the number of applications to special educational needs organisers from post-primary schools for special needs assistance support which have been made each year since 2006 to date in 2010; the percentage of these applications which have been granted, refused or partly granted every year;

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): 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 needs. The NCSE operates within my Department’s criteria in allocating such support. The information sought by the Deputy is not held in my Department and he may wish to liaise directly with the NCSE in the context of his enquiry, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

• New system of allocating teachers in school that are over quota

Deputy Brian Hayes (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will introduce from September 2010, a new system of allocating teachers in schools who are over quota, such as where no redeployment has taken place, hours allocated to pupils with special needs as a means of reducing costs in the special needs area.

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The issue raised by the Deputy would primarily arise at post-primary level. The system that he is seeking to introduce is already in place. Under current arrangements post-primary schools that are over quota have their allocations for pupils with special educational needs dealt with through the offsetting of existing over quota posts rather than the allocation of additional posts. This policy reduces the cost of providing for special needs in these schools.

• Cost of redundancies to SNAs

Deputy Brian Hayes (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of special needs assistants redundancy payments that have been issued by his Department over the past 12 months; the cost to his Department in paying SNA redundancy lump sums over the period in question;

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): Due to industrial action on the part of some staff in the Department of Education and Science, I am not in a position to give the details sought by the Deputy.

• Review decision to reduce numbers of special needs teachers

Deputy Willie Penrose (L): asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the fundamental importance of special needs teachers, he will take steps to review his decision to reduce the number of such teachers out of mainstream education due to the fact of the significant strides that have been made in recent years, whereby children with special needs were maintained in mainstream education with very positive results;

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): I wish to advise the Deputy that the policy in relation to the deployment of special needs teachers has not changed. No decision has been taken to reduce the level of learning support/resource teachers in mainstream schools. On the contrary, the level of learning support has increased at post-primary level. Special classes continue to be supported providing the enrolments warrant the provision of such classes. The Deputy will be aware that special education continues to be a key Government policy. There has been unprecedented investment in providing supports for pupils with special needs in recent years. There are now about 20,000 adults in our schools working solely with pupils with special needs. This includes over 10,000 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs); 8,600 resource and learning support teachers; over 1,100 special school teachers and hundreds of other teachers in special classes. Over €1 billion is being spent in supporting special educational provision this year. As well as this significant increase in the numbers of additional teachers and SNAs, much investment has taken place in the provision of transport, adapted school accommodation, assistive technology and specialist equipment. The National Council for Special Education 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.

• Negotiations regarding ABA schools

Deputy Ruairí Quinn (L): asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the negotiations between his Department and a body (details supplied) in relation to applied behavioural analysis schools; if these negotiations have now been merged into another set of negotiations between his Department and a trade union;

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The Deputy will be aware that the 2007/2012 Programme for Government commits to the long-term funding for the centres that are currently in the ABA pilot scheme subject to agreement with my Department on standards that will enable them to be supported as primary schools for children with autism. I am pleased to advise that broad agreement has been reached on the core conditions to enable these centres to be recognised as special schools for children with autism and applications have been received for special school recognition from the centres in question. These schools, once recognised, will provide education for children with autism in line with my Department’s policy. Detailed modalities relating to the transfer of staff are under consideration and it would be inappropriate for me to comment further in this regard.

• Garda Vetting of teachers and staff at schools

Deputy Brian Hayes (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of teachers that have been vetted by the Garda vetting unit to date at both primary and post primary level; the procedure for vetting ancillary staff in schools such as special needs assistants, caretakers and secretaries; if such staff are also vetted by the Garda vetting unit; the number that have been vetted to date in 2010;

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The arrangements for vetting of teaching and non-teaching staff are set out in Department Circular 0094/2006 which issued to all schools in June 2006. The Circular is available on my Department’s website. Due to industrial action on the part of some staff in the Department of Education and Science, I am not in a position to give the full details sought by the Deputy.

• Capital Assistance Scheme and special needs housing

Deputy Michael Creed (FG): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received an application from an organisation (details supplied) for grant aid towards the construction of special needs housing units in County Cork; if he will be making a capital allocation to this project in 2010;

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): My Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) providesfunding to approved housing bodies of up to 100% of the approved costs of accommodationfor older people, the homeless, persons with special needs, returning emigrants and victims ofdomestic violence.My Department’s involvement with the scheme relates primarily to the provision of fundsfor individual projects. The detailed administration of the scheme, including the certificationthat projects comply with its terms and conditions and the processing of applications are theresponsibility of the local authorities.An application for the project concerned was received from Cork County Council on 18March 2009. Having regard to the relative priority afforded to the proposal by the Council andthe competing demands for capital funding for new projects across all local authorities, it hasnot been possible to approve the project so far. It will be a matter for the Council to reviewthis situation under future calls for proposals for such projects.

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