Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy may be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports and deciding on the level of support appropriate to the school. A total of 71 special educational needs organisers, SENOs, have been recruited throughout the country and will be a focal point of contact for schools and parents.

My officials have been advised by the NCSE that an application for special needs assistant, SNA, support has not been granted in respect of the pupil in question as there was no report from a relevant multidisciplinary team or psychologist made available to the SENO. The NCSE will undertake to review the decision on the application on foot of a request from the school or parents-guardians, when accompanied by relevant additional information, which may not have been to hand at the time of the decision. The NCSE has outlined this process in its circular 01-05, which issued to all primary schools. In this regard, it is open to the school or parents-guardians to submit further documentation to the SENO in support of the application for SNA support.