Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for his reply. It is one area where there was rapid progress during the decade. On Leaders' Questions recently, in response to Deputy Micheál Martin, who began the whole process of allocating special needs assistants as Minister for Education and Science in 1998, the Taoiseach stated that from 2001 to 2010 the number of SNAs had tripled. That was a very good, much needed and welcome investment to assist many children.

To take the Minister's figure, 235 posts have not yet been allocated in respect of the number for which provision had been made for this school year. Is that correct?

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