Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, issued a circular to schools advising of the allocation process for the 2011-12 school year. A key feature of the scheme will be to provide for an annual allocation of special needs assistant, SNA, support to eligible schools. The NCSE asked schools to submit all applications for SNA support to it by 18 March 2011. It intends to inform schools of their annual SNA allocation as soon as possible. I am advised by the NCSE that it is not aware of any widespread difficulties being experienced by parents of children with special needs seeking to enrol children for the coming school year as a result of this measure. It further advises that in the event that any such issues arise they can be raised directly with the special educational needs organiser, SENO. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides parents with an appeal process where a board of management of a school refuses to enrol a student.

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