Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive a full time special needs assistant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9011/09]

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 (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

The NCSE has advised that the school in question has the services of two full-time SNAs to support the care needs of four pupils with special educational needs, including the pupil referred to by the Deputy. The pupil has shared access to this support and the management of this access is a matter for the school authorities. In addition, the pupil has been allocated 3 hours resource teaching per week.

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.