John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the criteria used to review the special needs assistants in a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10996/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in respect of the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. He will also be aware that the NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is carrying out a review of special needs assistant, SNA, allocations in all schools. The purpose of this review is to ensure that all SNA posts meet the criteria governing their allocation, as outlined in my Department's circular 07/02, which states: "Applications for a SNA should be considered where, for example, a pupil has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a danger to themselves or to other pupils."

The criteria being applied in the review are those set out in my Department's circulars. There has been no change in these criteria. As part of the review, the NCSE will identify and suppress any surplus posts that do not meet the scheme's criteria, for example, posts that have been retained when a pupil's care needs have diminished or when the pupil has left.

The allocation for any school and any adjustments to that allocation depend on a number of factors, such as the number of pupils with care-medical needs leaving, the number of new pupils, the changing needs of the pupils and any surplus identified. SENOs are communicating the outcome of the review directly to schools as the review progresses. I understand that the council has informed the school in question of the outcome of its review. It is expected that the NCSE will have completed the review by the end of March 2010.

The Deputy is fully aware that I have prioritised the provision of special education supports to schools. This is a new and key Government policy. However, this does not mean that resources allocated in response to various historical factors are retained in schools ad infinitum. At a time of constrained resources, it is essential that we ensure that public resources, both staff and resources, are deployed as effectively as possible. Leaving resources in an area not in accordance with criteria means that public resources are not available for another deserving area.

I am sure the Deputy shares my concern about ensuring a consistent application of policy in the allocation of special needs supports. This is all that is occurring at the moment. There is no question of SNA posts being removed from schools where they continue to meet the scheme's criteria. I can assure the Deputy that supports will continue to be made available to schools that have enrolled pupils who qualify for such support and children with special educational needs will continue to have access to an appropriate education in line with my Department's policy.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The criteria are the problem. This is the meanest cut of all to St. Anthony's in Castlebar, which is a special school. Is the Minister aware that a SENO is visiting it today to give a final decision? Does he know what the decision will be? He stated that no necessary posts will be removed.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Where the child meets the criteria.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The criteria are the problem. Why is there a need for a Minister for Education and Science if he hides behind the NCSE, which states in its visionary statement that it is "committed to a special education system that is person-centred, family-focused and is responsive to the needs of all"? I would have loved for the Minister to have gone to St. Anthony's Special School last Thursday night to tell parents and staff that the review would fulfil the school's need. If he does not believe me, he should ask the Government Deputies who attended. Will he intervene?

We are discussing SNAs in special schools, not mainstream schools. This matter is above politics and I appeal to the Minister to examine the criteria. Under the review, the school has lost four SNAs on an average salary of approximately €25,000. Last Thursday, the Minister's supporters told me that the Minister for Defence's handshake would pay those SNAs for one year. I have a final point to make.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will call the Deputy again. This is Question Time.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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This is an emotive issue that should be above politics. Of my budget of €9 billion, €1.2 billion is spent on special needs. The Government takes the matter seriously.

I will elucidate the facts concerning the school in question. It is a special school with 39 pupils on its roll and 24 staff comprising an administrative principal, six teachers, four part-time teachers and 13 SNAs. The NESC has completed its review and will inform the school officially today. From my notes, I understand that the number of SNAs will drop from 13 to ten.

The ratio between the school's staffing levels and its number of children is approximately 6.5:1. St. Anthony's is a mild general learning disability school. It is understood that up to ten of its children have autism. Were a special autism unit established in the school, the staffing level would be one teacher and two SNAs and the pupil-teacher ratio would be 5:1 or 6:1.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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That is what it should be.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I advise the school to liaise with the NCSE to ensure that proper designation is included. I am concerned that children are appropriately placed and that children with special needs are differentiated.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I invite the Minister to visit the stated school and tell the staff and pupils what he has told me. He has confirmed the need for everything they have been allocated. The Minister says there is a roll-back on one special needs assistant, SNA. Either the Minister or someone acting on his behalf has looked at the criteria and found there is still a difficulty.

Cutbacks in teaching numbers in a school come into force the following September. The current cutbacks will be rolled out next Easter. The school is expected to cope with this situation in the middle of the school year, when it is already coping with 13 SNAs. That is not acceptable.

Some 20,000 people have joined a Facebook campaign and 5,000 signatures have been collected. I ask the Minister to look at this matter again.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Legislation has given independence to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. I do not interfere in allocating or removing posts. It would be remiss of me to do so.

The information given to me suggests that one of the SNAs was carrying out secretarial duties in the school and the provision for which that person was employed no longer existed.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I invite the Minister to go and tell the school that.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am only telling the Deputy what was reported to me. If that is the case, the SNA should not be in the school.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Does the Minister have that report in writing?

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Does the Minister have confirmation of that?

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister should go down and tell them that.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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He should go down and tell them that.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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That is the report I received from the NCSE.