Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 731: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will list and explain all jobs which are defined as posts or responsibility and which fall under the moratorium on public sector jobs announced recently; the number of vacancies estimated by his Department to be left unfilled over the next two year period if the estimated saving is to be €5 million; if he will provide estimates for special needs assistant posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15819/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The duties which may be delegated to post of responsibility holders at primary level are outlined in Department Primary Circular 07/03 (Appendix A). At Post-primary level the relevant circulars are 4/98 Deputy Principal's, 05/98 Voluntary Secondary Schools, 20/98 VECs, 23/98 C&C schools, 46/00 Adult Education and PPT17/02 Programme Co-ordinator. All of the circulars are available on my Department's website.

Following the Government decision on the moratorium on promotions in the Public Service my Department issued a circular to all schools indicating that with effect from 27 March, 2009 schools may no longer make any appointment to a post of responsibility including those that may have fallen vacant on or before 27 March, 2009. This Circular 0022/2009 is available on my Department's website.

It is a matter for the school authority to re-organise and prioritise the appropriate duties for post of responsibility holders in the context of implementing this moratorium. Under the revised arrangements schools may continue to fill posts of Principal and Deputy Principal. The Government decision provides for an exception in respect of the first allocation of posts of responsibility in new schools. My Department will be in direct communication with new schools in relation to their entitlements to fill their first allocation of posts of responsibility.

It is not possible at this stage to indicate the precise level of vacancies that may arise over the next two years however it is expected that a saving of €5m will accrue from the introduction of the moratorium on posts of responsibility in schools and the review of special needs assistants now underway. The National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. A pupil's level of care may diminish over time as the child matures. Pupils may move to a different school or on to post-primary school. In such situations, the NCSE will review and adjust the SNA support required in the school. The SENOs convey such decisions directly to schools. The criteria for allocating special needs assistant support for children with special educational needs were not changed as part of the budget announcements. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support.