John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of special needs assistants currently employed; and the criteria and ratio of pupils to SNAs with particular reference to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11. [18351/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school in question is a special school for children with mild general disability (MGLD).

The criteria for the allocation of special needs assistant (SNA) support is set out in Department circulars and has regard to the recommendations of the Report of the Special Education Review Committee 1993. This report recommended that the appointment ratio for special schools catering for children with MGLD would be 1 SNA per 4 classes of 11 pupils which, in this school's case, would result in an allocation of approximately 4 SNA posts.

However, the reality is that in many special schools there are children enrolled who have additional special needs requiring support over and above the ratio recommended by SERC. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) takes such additional needs into account when allocating resources to schools. In the school in question, there are 14 SNAs currently employed in the school.