Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 727: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the current number of special needs assistants in primary schools in County Clare; the number to be allocated in September 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19397/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 219 special needs assistants, SNAs, employed in 79 primary schools in County Clare and paid salary on my Department's payroll. The Deputy may be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which became operational on 1 January 2005, now processes applications for special educational needs, SEN, supports. At this stage, the NCSE has dealt with all new applications from schools for SNA assistance that will be required from the beginning of September 2005. Therefore, there should be no reason a child enrolling in a school in September 2005 who needs SNA assistance does not have that assistance in place from his-her first day in school. The recruitment of SNAs is a matter for individual boards of management and it is not possible to indicate at this stage the numbers to be allocated in September 2005.

This Government has put in place an unprecedented level of support for children with special needs. Indeed, since 1998, the number of SNAs has increased from under 300 to nearly 6,000 nationally. Where it has been established that additional SNA posts are required, these posts are continuing to be allocated on an ongoing basis.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 728: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the current number of special needs assistants in primary schools in the State; the number to be allocated in September 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19398/05]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 729: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will report on the assessment criteria for assigning special needs assistants; the assessment criteria prior to 2004; the notice which special needs assistants receive if their services are no longer required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19399/05]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 730: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the provision which is made for children with mild learning difficulties to receive attention from special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19400/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 728 to 730, inclusive, together.

There are 6,314 special needs assistants, SNAs, in place in primary schools. SNAs are assigned to schools to meet the care needs of individual children, including those with mild general learning disabilities, who have been assessed by a psychologist as needing this type of support. There has been no change to the criteria or guidelines for allocating SNA support to schools and there are no plans to review the criteria or guidelines under which SNA support is allocated.

Applications for SNA support are now dealt with by the National Council for Special Education which processes all applications for support from schools and communicate the decisions directly to the schools. At this stage, the council has dealt with all new applications from schools for SNAs that will be required from the beginning of September 2005.

My Department is engaged in discussions with the trade union representing SNAs, under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission, on a number of issues relating to the employment of SNAs, including the questions of a redundancy package for SNAs who are now surplus to the needs of a school, retention of experienced SNAs within the system and standard contracts for SNAs. In the circumstances it would not be appropriate for me to comment specifically on any of these issues.

The Deputy will be aware that this Government has put in place an unprecedented level of support for children with special needs. Indeed, since 1998, the number of SNAs has increased from under 300 to more than 6,300 nationally. In addition to this, more effective systems, such as the establishment of the National Council for Special Education, have been put in place to ensure that children get support as early as possible.