Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

Okay. Deputy Healy. Members should bear with me. Through the Chair, I ask Deputy Halligan to forgive me. It is the Munster intonation.

There are 10,575 SNA posts available nationally for the coming school year to support eligible children. Unlike other areas of the public sector, SNA vacancies are being filled up to this number. In 2001, a total of 2,988 SNAs were employed at a cost of €33.7 million. By 2010 that had risen to 10,543-----

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