Minister says 500 schools to get special needs assistants

Almost 300 extra assistants are being hired to help Irish schoolchildren with special educational needs, it emerged today.

Pupils in 500 primary schools will benefit from the measure, which has been welcomed by primary teachers’ union, INTO.

The Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin said the posts will cost 6 million euro to be established.

She said: “I acknowledge that the speed of response to special needs applications has been slow in the past and I am determined to ensure faster provision for children.”

The INTO welcomed the new posts but called on the minister to act on a further 120 applications from schools for special needs teachers.

INTO general secretary John Carr said: “A lot has been done but a lot more needs to be done.

“Every pupil in schools between Malin Head and Mizen Head should have access to a Special Needs Assistant to help his or her educational development”.

Minister Hanafin said he would also be “taking action” to ensure that the extra 120 applications applications “are dealt with speedily”.

The minister pointed out that there will now be nearly 6,000 Special Needs Assistants in Irish schools – compared to just 299 in 1998.

She said she was also reviewing the procedure for applying for resource teachers to reduce paperwork and speed up the process.