Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 639: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will clarify the position regarding the review of the special needs assistant system taking place; when the findings are due to be announced; if the criteria for allocation of special needs assistant were fully met for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; if they are outside the review taking place; and if they will retain their resource teaching hours. [18149/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is currently reviewing Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations in all schools with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts are properly met. There has been no change in these criteria and the current review will be carried out by reference to those criteria. A separate Value for Money and Policy Analysis review of the SNA scheme is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the end of 2009. A final report will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

The NCSE is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and SNAs to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in relation to the allocation of such posts. 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. I have arranged for the details supplied by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for its direct reply.