Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 603: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to a redundancy at a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the redundancy; if this person will be reinstated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32623/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Since 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, through its network of locally based special education needs organisers, is responsible for processing any application for additional special educational needs resources. The recruitment, employment and dismissal of individual special need assistants are matters for each school authority. In terminating a special need assistant's contract of employment, the provisions of the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973 to 2001 should be applied. A special needs assistant who is in service for a period of between 13 weeks and two years should be given a minimum of one week's notice in accordance with the terms of the Act. Employees may be required to work the notice period or may accept payment in lieu of notice, if offered.

In the case in question, the special needs assistant concerned was given notice on 28 October 2005. She will, however, continue to be paid on my Department's payroll up to and including 6 November 2005.