Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 495: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of special educational needs organisers that are working for the National Council for Special Education under the aegis of her Department; the location of their employment; the number of special needs assistants that work in the 3,300 primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4850/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that there are 82 Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) posts in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). Three of these posts are vacant and the NCSE has advised that it has initiated the recruitment process to fill these vacancies. The SENOs are deployed by the NCSE throughout the State to provide a nationwide service. Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools, teachers, psychologists, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in that area for children with special educational needs. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

Enormous progress has been made in relation to increasing the number of special needs assistants (SNAs) in our schools who specifically cater for the care needs of children with special educational needs. There are currently over 8,000 whole time equivalent SNAs in our primary schools supporting children with special care needs.