Fianna Fáil TD in Cork North West Michael Moynihan, has welcomed confirmation from the Department of Education that all vacant Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) posts across the country will be filled.
The Department has advised Deputy Moynihan that there will also be a significant increase in the number of SENOs employed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in the very near future.
The Department of Education acknowledges the challenges for children, their families and schools that can arise as a result of vacancies in the NCSE, and while the NCSE has always worked to mitigate these challenges, they have been further exacerbated by a significant growth in the need for NCSE services in recent years. At present, each of the 73 SENOs is responsible for approximately 342 children with the most complex needs and for engaging with 55 schools on average.
Deputy Moynihan who has tirelessly campaigned on this issue said, "The SENO plays a vital role in the provision of special education or education for additional needs. They have done tremendous work in working with boards of management, school authorities and with families throughout the country.
"Fianna Fáil acknowledge that the NCSE should expand and develop its services to meet the needs of children with special educational needs in a responsive and child-centred way. That is why this Government is investing an additional €13 million for the recruitment of up to 161 additional staff into the organisation, including increasing our SENO numbers to 116.
"It is challenging for families and schools when they are trying to make provision and integrate children into mainstream or special schools to get the necessary resources. I very much welcome confirmation that current vacancies will be filled as well as the additional SENO posts; it is not before time.''
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