To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the budget that has been allocated to further education colleges for post-19 special educational needs provision in each of the last five years.

My Department has provided a ring-fenced budget of £4.5 million, per annum, for each of the last 5 years, through the Additional Support Fund (ASF) to Further Education (FE) colleges towards the necessary additional technical and/or personal support required to allow students with learning difficulties or disabilities to participate in mainstream FE courses, or in discrete programmes. ASF is available to all students who enrol in FE colleges, irrespective of age, the department does not hold information in relation to the age profile of students who avail of this support.