Enniscorthy special school classes
Deputy Mythen raised the NCSE’s handling of reviews and appeals affecting special classes in St. Aidan’s and St. Senan’s primary schools. The Tánaiste said he would ask the Minister to engage with the NCSE and follow up directly.
I raise an important issue in my constituency. I have been contacted by principals in two of the main schools in my area, namely, St. Aidan's primary school and St. Senan's primary school in Enniscorthy. St. Aidan's school has 861 pupils and St. Senan's has 435 pupils, operating seven special classes and four special classes, respectively. Both schools have expressed utter dissatisfaction at the unprofessional conduct of the NCSE. Both St. Aidan's and St. Senan's primary schools sought a review and asked for the rationale of the decision prior to their appeal as advised and advocated by the NCSE. They have both contacted the NCSE on numerous occasions for clarification of the rationale behind its initial decisions. Without this information, neither school can support a comprehensive and accurate detailed account to back their appeals. I ask the Tánaiste to contact the CEO and the head of inclusion support services of the NCSE to supply St. Aidan's and St. Senan's primary schools with the requested rationale behind its allocation of SNAs to both schools.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of St. Aidan's and St. Senan's. I thank them for all they do to meet the needs of the young people of the community and people with additional needs in Enniscorthy. I also acknowledge that for them to be able to do that in the way they want, and the way people expect them to do it, we need to work with them to support them. On foot of the Deputy raising this, I will ask that the Minister, Deputy Naughton, speak to the NCSE and that it or the Minister make direct contact with him to follow up.