Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 483: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he intends to curtail in anyway the appointment of special needs assistants during 2009; if decisions to withdraw SNA's can be appealed to his Department and to the special needs council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45986/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operate within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

The NCSE will undertake to review a decision taken by a SENO on foot of a request from a school or parents/guardians, when accompanied by relevant additional information, which may not have been to hand at the time of the decision. The NCSE has outlined this process in its Circular 01/05.

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.