John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to share time with Deputy Mick Wallace.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Is that agreed? Agreed.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise on the Adjournment the loss of six special needs assistant, SNA, posts at St. Senan's primary school, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, which will cause severe problems for the running of the autism centre there. The school has an autism unit with an open enrolment policy. The principal, Mr. Henry Goff, and his staff allow all children suffering with autism - mild, moderate or severe - to attend the school. The open enrolment policy has served the school well over many years.

When the autism unit was set up, St. Senan's was approved staff on a one-to-one basis. However, for some reason the Department has moved the goalposts, seeking to divide the educational and care needs of the children. Perhaps the Minister of State will explain what criteria was used in making the decision to reduce the SNAs by six. I, and many other Members, are aware of the excellent service provided by St. Senan's primary school, the purpose of which is to allow the children eventually attend mainstream education. Children with severe care needs will not be able to attend mainstream classes without the support of SNAs.

The school has been notified in recent days of the loss of six SNA posts. The Taoiseach stated in the House today that there would be a cut of 200 SNA posts throughout the country by Christmas. If one divides 41 constituencies by 200, that equates to five SNAs per constituency. For some reason, however, St. Senan's primary school in Enniscorthy is to lose six SNA posts. Parents of children suffering from autism and other disabilities have protested strongly about this cut during the past six months. While an appeals system was promised, the school was told when it appealed that no such system was in place. Perhaps the Minister of State might clarify the position in that regard. I was told by previous Ministers and officials in the Department of Education and Skills that an appeals system was in place and that the school would be allowed to submit an appeal, which it did. It has since been informed that no appeal hearing would be allowed, which appears strange to me.

The parents have medical reports from Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, psychologists and general practitioners outlining the seriousness of some of the children's problems, but these were completely ignored by the special educational needs organisers, SENOs. I ask that the Minister of State visit the school, unannounced if he so wishes, to see first hand the importance of the autism centre at St. Senan's school and, more important, the need to have SNAs in the school on a one-to-one basis.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I reiterate what Deputy Browne said. It is grossly unfair. I was disappointed to hear the Taoiseach's remarks today. Last Friday, I received telephone calls from parents who were crying over this. When I suggested to them that they come up on Tuesday to protest, they jumped at the idea. They had no plans in place but feel so strongly about this matter that more than 100 people turned up here yesterday to protest.

I have no doubt there are abuses in the system. The Government is correct that reform is needed in respect of all forms of extra resources provided to schools. I honestly believe, however, there are many genuine cases, not alone in Enniscorthy or other parts of Wexford but also throughout the country. Come September-October, parents are going to be very angry. The Minister should rethink this proposed cut, which is not fair.

The Irish are reluctant to protest. I do not believe they would do so if they were hungry. However, their children are a different matter. Come September-October parents will be upset when these SNA and resource teacher numbers are cut, given the many other ways in which they have been hit.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Deputies for giving me this opportunity to outline the position in relation to the special needs assistant, SNA, scheme generally and also in relation to the particular school mentioned by them.

As the Deputies will be aware, the previous Government introduced a cap of 10,575 on the total number of SNA posts. This is a significant number of posts and represents an increase on the number of posts allocated in recent years. It is considered that, with equitable and careful management and distribution of these resources, there will be sufficient posts to provide access to SNA support for all children who require such care support to attend school in accordance with departmental criteria.

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, 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 educational needs. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support which now includes a requirement for them to have regard to the overall cap on numbers.

The priority criteria for the allocation of SNA posts include ensuring that the minimum SNA to special class ratio is maintained in special schools and special classes; ensuring support for children with incontinence issues; ensuring those schools which require full day cover for children receive full day cover; deferring the allocation of additional SNA supports to schools for junior infant pupils for whom behaviour is cited as the rationale for SNA support, other than in cases of well documented extremely challenging or dangerous behaviour; prioritising schools which have enrolled pupils with newly diagnosed care needs and which do not have any SNA support; and encouraging the effective use of SNA posts, for example, where two or more posts have been deployed in a single classroom. To distribute SNA posts fairly across the school system, it will be important for the NCSE to ensure that schools do not have an over-allocation of SNA posts, as this could prevent them from allocating SNAs to children with care needs in other schools.

I understand the school referred to by the Deputy currently has 532 pupils enrolled, including three classes for autism, which have an enrolment of 17 children. The NCSE reviewed SNA staffing levels in St. Senan's in June 2010. As a result of this review, 13 SNAs were sanctioned along with the three teachers to cater for 17 pupils in the autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit. A further 8.5 full-time SNA posts, one infant post and ten hours were allocated to the school to support children in the mainstream. This gives the school a total number of 21.5 SNA posts, one infant post and ten hours. This level of support has been determined by the NCSE to take into account the significant care needs of the children.

The previous allocation, prior to this review of SNA posts, had been 17 SNA posts for the 17 pupils in the ASD unit, ten full-time SNA posts and two infant posts, and ten hours were allocated to the school to support children in the mainstream. The revised allocation of 13 SNAs for the three ASD classes will still provide an exceptionally high level of SNA support for these pupils and will still equate to an SNA to pupil ratio of one SNA per 1.3 pupils in these classes. Even taking into account the fact that the children in ASD classes have very significant care needs, this is a very high level of support. The current recommended SNA ratio for special class groups, as outlined in Department of Education and Skills circular 0038/10, is a ratio of two SNAs per special class group of six children for children with ASD. The NCSE has also advised it considers there are sufficient SNA posts to cater for all the children in mainstream.

The school has appealed the decision of the NCSE and I understand the NCSE SENO and a senior SENO will meet the school in the coming days to discuss its appeal and its SNA allocation for the coming school year.

Where schools have had a reduction in their level of SNA allocation or have not received the level of SNA support they feel is sufficient to cater for the care needs of pupils, the NCSE may review the level of care support. However, whereas I understand that schools may wish to maintain current staffing levels, the NCSE must ensure there is not an over-allocation of SNA posts in schools and ensure there are adequate posts for distribution across the school system. I thank the Deputy once again for raising the matter.