Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will support a school (details supplied) in County Offaly. [3293/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, special needs assistants (SNAs) are sanctioned by special education needs organisers (SENOs) to schools specifically to assist in the care of pupils and students with disabilities in an educational context. SNAs may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream school to assist school authorities in making suitable provision for children who have been assessed as having such needs. Applications for SNA support are made by schools to the local SENO and the SENO conveys a decision on the application directly to the schools without recourse to my Department. The SENOs operate within the policy outlined in my Department's circular for allocating such support.

In allocating SNA support, I can confirm that there have been no cutbacks in relation to the allocation of SNAs to schools and any SNA posts that have been terminated was as a result of the pupils for whom such support was originally granted no longer requiring such support or transferring from the school system. In fact the number of SNAs in our schools has increased significantly and there are now over 9,800 SNAs in the primary, post-primary and special schools supporting children with special care needs. I understand that the local SENO is due to carry out a review of the current SNA allocation in the school referred to in the correspondence on foot of an appeal from the school.