Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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86. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the SNA review for a school (details supplied) in north Dublin, recognising the uncertainty families are facing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40716/26]

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My question is on the provision of SNAs in a school in my community and the need for better communications from the Department of education. Will the Minister of State provide an update on the SNA review for Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol in Domhnach Míde, Baile Átha Cliath, recognising the uncertainty families are facing, and will he make a statement on the matter?

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for the question. The Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on care support for children and young people with special educational needs in our schools, including the allocation of special needs assistant support to schools. It has responsibility for managing and processing requests from schools for a review of their SNA allocations.

I fully understand and have seen the critical role special needs assistants play in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools. The Department has been steadily building the level of SNA support in our education system. By the end of this year, there will be over 24,896 SNAs in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. That will grow to 26,000 or more over the next while.  This represents a 46% increase since 2020. The Minister and I have been engaging intensively to ensure all the concerns raised are understood.

The Deputy raised an issue with a specific school. I will ask the NCSE to ensure that that review is taken out as soon as possible. If the Deputy has more details, we could follow up afterwards. I reassure the House that the value we place on the role of the special needs assistant in the school system is huge. SNAs have contributed enormously to the provision of specialised education. We are going to continue to grow those numbers into next year and beyond to ensure we are meeting the needs of children and school communities.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I spoke earlier this year about the importance of that trust between SNAs and students, which I know he understands, and how central that is to a child’s school experience and their broader development. I welcome the commitment to engage specifically on this item and will follow up with him separately. I also welcome the target of 26,000-plus SNAs. Communication earlier in the year between the Department and the NCSE was very poor and we are heading for the same problem again. That is where Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol is struggling. It wants to plan for its SNA numbers and allocations for next year. I will pick up with the Minister of State separately on that. We need to address this for the future. I do not want Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol or any other school in the area heading for the June bank holiday still not clear on its allocation, so it is really important that we try to bottom out that process so schools can have certainty as soon as possible.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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On decisions that were made earlier this year, there will be no change. There will be no reduction in the number of SNAs who will be in school communities from 2025-26 to 2026-27. We are committed to growing the number of SNAs because we see the role of the SNA as a huge enabler in providing specialised education in school communities. They have contributed enormously to allow a child with special educational needs to reach their full potential within the education system and the work that is being done by the special needs assistants across the school communities, in collaboration with the teachers and school leaderships, is second to none. We understand that at ministerial level, across the Department and in the NCSE as well.

It is important that we are communicating our information and our story across the school communities because nothing can be more frustrating than not understanding the information. I take the point on that but we are communicating right across the system. A huge volume of work has been going on for a number of years and is being brought to a conclusion over the next number of weeks in terms of the workforce development plan, the redeployment plan and the circular.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. The same school has an issue with the summer programme as well. On the school's notification of the summer programme, the quantum has arrived three months later than last year and the school still does not know how many places it can offer. It has only been told that this information will be confirmed this very week. This is an issue that came up during the general election campaign. I remember talking to teachers who were really struggling to make their plans for the summer programme because they were hearing about their resources quite late in the cycle. Will the Minister of State give us any assurance or information? What can we do to make sure that that school can accommodate and plan the summer programme, given it is just around the corner, so that there is not that stress on families and they can make their summer plans as well?

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The summer programme is hugely valued within school communities and families. That just goes to show the huge number of families and students who have applied for the programme across the system. It came up again at the Oireachtas committee on education yesterday when the Minister and I were reflecting very carefully on the concerns that were raised about the summer programme into 2026 and the challenges there were for a number of schools and students. We are reflecting very carefully on that but of course we have to be very mindful also that we have a specific budget for it and we have those limits we have to work in. We are working with every school community to bring certainty over the next short while. We are acutely aware that it is only a number of weeks before the summer programme will kick in. I assure the Deputy we are reflecting very carefully on what he is saying and also what others said at the committee yesterday and will be giving it due consideration over the next day or two.