Mr. Frank Hanlon:

I will cover briefly our perspective of on the guidelines. Mr. Kearney will come in on this, but schools have already been written to in this regard to clarify the points the Deputy is talking about. If people are saying they understand the guidelines to mean a certain thing when they do not, they absolutely have to be clarified.

In the opportunity I have, let me make a few key points. First, the whole reason for the window was not to restrict anything; it was actually to help schools in planning for the year ahead. It is what schools wanted to allow for allocations to go out earlier and a redeployment scheme to be in place. The second point is that there remain separate allocations for mainstream and special classes in mainstream schools. That has not changed and is not changing.

The third point is the role of the SNA, as has always been the case in terms of the NCSE when it goes in to review, is based on that circular from 2014, which is where the criteria come from. Obviously that is something that is being looked at on either side-----