George Lawlor
Question:496. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Education the number of vacancies for SENOs in the Wexford area; and when these posts will be filled, in tabular form. [46444/24]
View answerWednesday, 22 January 2025
Questions (496)
Written answers
Following the allocation of an additional €13 million for the expansion of services within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the NCSE examined the various roles and responsibilities within the organisation. This culminated in a workforce & organisational plan underpinning the recruitment of extra staff and guiding the transformational change in the NCSE structure, to provide more direct and responsive focus within communities.
At local level, the NCSE has doubled the number of support teams available to parents and schools, throughout the country, from a 10 team structure to a 20 team structure. All special educational needs organisers (SENO) grades are now assigned on a county basis and undertake caseloads associated with that county only, on a reduced caseload basis. In County Wexford, there are four SENOs assigned to the county, all four appointments are filled.
To support these staff, additional administrative staff have also been allocated this allows SENOs to concentrate on working directly with schools and families. This will allow for an integrated community-based service which is conducive to the development of key relationships between NCSE staff, parents, and schools in the provision of services to students with special educational needs.
The additional administrative support and revised caseload allocations in addition to the SENOs will provide comprehensive cover. Contact details for all SENOs, including the details of specific areas in Wexford they cover, are available on the NCSE website.