Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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The figures we are being given and the explanations for them are exceptionally fudgy. They do not explain the dynamic of this increase. I welcome it because I know from engaging with schools that there is a real stress factor in respect of matching up the need for SNAs with the provision of SNAs. In many cases there is a sense that there are not enough to meet the need there. The 610 extra SNAs is an increase of 5.4% on the total number. That is welcome but it is a very significant increase in one year. There is no explanation of what is behind that. We are being told that demand is increasing, that more students are coming in and that this leads to an increase. We are expected to accept this as the explanation.

However, something much more substantial is leading to this. There was insufficient resourcing in previous years, where it was suppressed, and the provision for SNAs was tightened up. Now, however, resources are starting to be released. That seems to be the primary explanation behind it because I presume in making projections for the 2015 Estimates and having looked at previous trends, where the number of SNAs was increasing as demand was increasing, an increase in demand would have been built in.