Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Circular 0030/2014 does not prohibit health staff from giving their professional opinion on the care needs of a child with special needs. The circular states professional reports and assessments play an important role in the SNA allocation process. There is no question in that regard.

Under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act, it is a statutory function of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to assess and review the resources required for special educational provision. In doing so the NCSE takes into account professional assessments of care needs but also considers the whole school environment, observations on a child's interaction in the classroom and the views of the child's parents, teachers and national educational psychologists, as necessary.

Circular 0030/2014 indicates that the HSE has directed staff not to include in their reports references to the specific quantum of educational resources but rather to set out the care needs of a child, while outlining that it is ultimately a matter for the NCSE to review the resources required in a school to support these needs.

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