Results 19,741-19,760 of 24,092 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: As to the number of applications received from students requesting SNA support, the NCSE mentioned a figure of 24,000 for last year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: What is it so far this year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Some 5,800?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: That is much lower than-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: What was round one last year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Roughly the same level?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Ms Griffin has stated that 35% of the 8,500 applications were refused last year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Was that in line or an increase on previous years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Who is included in the second round? Is it new students starting for the first time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Round one last year was 5,800 but ended up as 8,600 due to infants new to the system and people transferring from primary to secondary school. Why did the 3,000 not enter in round one? Why was round one not larger?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: The 8,000 are new applications. A first or second class student who had an SNA last year does not need to reapply.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: The first and second rounds are for new students who are entering the education system and for newly identified needs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Students who had SNAs the previous year will keep them if they are continuing in the same level in school.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: An additional 220 SNA posts were announced in the budget and were to start this September. I take it from what the departmental officials are saying that the 220 posts will not be sufficient.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: On what basis was the figure of 220 decided?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Mr. Mulkerrins mentioned that the Department was doing diligence at the moment regarding-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: -----the referral from the NCSE. What is involved in that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: I see.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: I wish to raise a final matter regarding the NCSE. Yesterday, a report in The Irish Timesindicated that the NCSE made a further request for additional SNAs to the Department last week, which was later than usual. Was there a reason for that? Will the witnesses comment on why there was a delay this year compared with other years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (1 Jul 2015)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes.