Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Mary Coughlan. I thank the Deputy for giving me this opportunity to outline the position in regard to the special needs assistant, SNA, scheme generally and, in particular, the allocation of SNA support to schools working with children with autism in specialised units.

The House is aware that the education of children with special educational needs has been and remains a key priority for Government. The Department of Education and Skills continues to invest huge resources into schools to enable them to meet the needs of children with special educational needs. This year alone, more than €1 billion of the Department's budget is being spent to provide supports to enable learners with special educational needs access an education appropriate to their needs. The SNA scheme, in particular, has been a major factor in both ensuring the successful integration of children with special educational needs into mainstream education and the provision of support to pupils enrolled in special schools and special classes.

I take this opportunity to assure the House that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is processing applications from schools for SNA support and sanctioning SNA posts to schools. Schools, which have enrolled children who qualify for support from an SNA continue to be allocated SNA support. The terms and criteria for the SNA scheme have not changed.

The Deputy will be aware that the NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, SENO, is responsible for allocating resource teachers and SNAs to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within the Department of Education and Skills criteria in allocating such support and is independent in the making and issuing of its decisions relating to the allocation of such supports.

It is important to understand in regard to the SNA allocation process that the allocation for any school, and any adjustments to that allocation, depend on a number of factors such as the number of pupils with care-medical needs leaving, the number of new pupils and the changing care needs of existing pupils in the school. SNA allocations are therefore not permanent but are increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time. There has been no policy change in this regard.

The Deputy may be aware that one of the reasons for the allocation of SNAs is to assist children to develop greater levels of independent living skills. It is not generally in the interests of a child for the NCSE to leave an SNA in place where a child has achieved a greater level of independence. To do so has the potential to impact on a child's personal development in a negative way. I am sure the Deputy will agree that many children with disabilities develop independent living skills as they grow and mature. Where a child develops to such an extent that he or she no longer needs the support of a SNA, that is a positive development. Likewise, where children to whom SNA support was previously allocated have left a school, it would be inefficient to leave those resources in place.

The Deputy is fully aware that the Department has prioritised the provision of special education supports to schools. This remains a key Government policy. However, this does not mean that resources, allocated in response to various historical factors, are retained in schools ad infinitum. At a time of constrained resources, it is essential to ensure that public resources are deployed as effectively as possible. Resources left in an area that are not in accordance with criteria mean public resources are not available for another deserving area.

The Deputy may be aware that the NCSE has introduced an appeals procedure whereby schools and parents may appeal a decision in relation to the allocation of teaching and SNA resources. Where a school is unhappy regarding a decision in regard to its SNA resource allocation, it is open to the school and-or the parents concerned to appeal the decision of the SENO to the NCSE through this appeals mechanism.

I understand that a number of schools in the Wexford area have appealed the decision of the NCSE in relation to the allocation of supports. These appeals will be processed by the NCSE in line with that body's procedures in this regard.

I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

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