Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 578: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of special needs assistants appointed from 1 September 2005; the number of applications for special needs assistants which have been refused; and if, in the case of refusals of such applications, she has carried out assessments to justify such refusals. [31849/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I confirm for the Deputy that a total of 641 new appointee whole time equivalent special needs assistants, SNAs, were placed on my Department's SNA payroll from 1 September 2005. In addition, a total of 480 whole time equivalent SNAs were re-appointed on my Department's SNA payroll from 1 September 2005. In total, there are more than 6,600 whole time equivalent SNAs in our schools supporting children with special needs, more than 6,000 of whom are in primary schools and almost 600 in second level schools.

Where the care needs of a pupil have been clearly identified in a professional report, and where the criteria for the allocation of such support as outlined in circular 07/02 is met, it is not the case that such support would be refused or disallowed but that the support may be granted on an individual or shared basis. The National Council for Special Education will undertake to review a decision on SNA support on foot of a request from a school or parents-guardians, when accompanied by relevant additional information, which may not have been to hand at the time of the decision.