Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 970: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department monitors the outcome for children with special needs who have been assigned a special needs assistant at primary and second level; the number of special needs assistants employed to support the academic needs of children with special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1464/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools and for reviewing such allocations.

I wish to clarify for the Deputy that SNA support is provided to school authorities to assist them to cater for children who have care needs arising from a disability. There are currently in excess of 9,800 special needs assistants in primary, post-primary and special schools supporting children with special care needs.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department has recently commenced a value for money and policy review of the special needs assistant scheme. It is expected that the review will be completed during 2009.