Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Crowe for raising this issue. The National Council for Special Education, I understand, has advised that Sixmilebridge national school has resubmitted a previous special needs assistant review request, which now includes additional new junior infants due to start in September 2025. The NCSE has confirmed that the SNA review will be completed and the outcome notified to the school in advance of the new school year. It is important that that would happen.

I gave the figures in an earlier reply but, by September, we will have 23,179 special needs assistants. When the school receives its SNA allocation from the NCSE, it may recruit two SNA posts as it would have done in previous years, so there is no change to the recruitment process. I understand the particular issues facing the school in terms of its expansion and growth. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, have announced work is underway on a redeployment scheme for special needs assistants, which will be in place in the 2025-26 school year.

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