THE DELAY in filling 475 special needs assistant posts in schools was defended by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

“These are withheld for a very good reason: to cater for cases in which, as a newly assessed child comes into a class, an accident occurs or some other issue arises,” he said.

Mr Kenny said Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn was right to consider the extent of observation periods so that a comprehensive assessment of each child’s needs could be obtained.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said that since 1998 there had been radical change, as well as dramatic improvements, in mainstreaming special needs education services. “For God’s sake, what the Taoiseach is saying does not tally with the reality on the ground. It is ridiculous to talk about 475 posts being withheld. Why are they being withheld?”

He said the school year had started and special needs assistants were being removed from children.

Mr Martin claimed there was a disconnect between what the Taoiseach and the Minister were saying in the Dáil and what was happening on the ground.

That was no consolation to the parents and provided no comfort to the schools involved, he added.

Mr Kenny said appointments to the 475 posts were being withheld because of emergencies and reviews, acquired injuries, new entrants to school, arrivals from overseas, new assessments of disability or particular syndromes during the school year.

Mr Kenny insisted that children needing care and attention would have access to special needs assistants. “I have made this commitment before and stand by it.”

While he did not determine the professional assessment in each case, care would be provided when a professionally qualified person said it was necessary.

Mr Martin said that before the general election the Taoiseach not only promised to maintain special needs assistant provision but also supported a Dáil motion to increase funding for this year.

On Tuesday night, the RTÉ programme Prime Timehad highlighted the results of the inflexible approach to the provision of special needs assistants and how it was affecting children with special needs, said Mr Martin.

“The stories on the programme were truly shocking to anyone who was watching,” he said. “It is simply unacceptable.”

The Fianna Fáil leader said the way in which the system was being implemented was heartless and demonstrated a hands-off approach by the Minister for Education. “Parents of special needs children are well aware of the commitments the Taoiseach made and his choice to break them will not be forgotten.”

Mr Kenny said that since 2001, the number of special needs assistants had tripled to 10,575. And there were also 9,950 resource teachers for special education services, 350 more than last year.

While he had not seen the RTÉ programme, he heard it did have a point in that there was clearly a need to consider the extent of observation time in classes by professionals.

Mr Kenny said that when he had met parents of children with special needs in Wexford last week, they were very angry.

In a school, which he understood was mentioned in the programme, there were three special classes for autism spectrum disorder.

There were 13 special needs assistants catering for the 18 pupils in those classes, or almost one for each pupil, higher than the recommended ratio.

“I reiterate [that] in any individual case where a professional assessor comes in and states that any particular child needs a special needs assistant and access to such a person, that access will, of course, be granted to that child,” Mr Kenny added.