Replies to your Parliamentary Questions for 12/03/2010

To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will give the maximum support to all special needs pupil in 2010. - Finian McGrath.

Freagra
Minister Batt O'Keeffe

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 Assis tants (SNAs); 8,600 resource and learning support teachers; over 1,100 special school teachers and hundreds of other teachers in special classes. Over C1 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 providing appropriate education and care supports for children with special educational needs, 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.