Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 283: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of special needs assistants who will be removed from schools from September 2009; the schools affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26654/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education has been requested by my Department to arrange for its Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) to review 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. The review is currently under way and it is intended that it will be completed during 2009.

Given the proximity of the end of this school year and, in the light of the fact that those schools yet to be reviewed will have prepared for the new school year in advance of being reviewed, my Department has allowed exceptional transitional arrangements for schools where the SNA allocation is being adjusted. With a number of exceptions e.g. where a child with SNA support is leaving a school, schools may, if they so wish, retain the existing cohort of SNAs until 31 January 2010.

The allocation for any school and any adjustments to that allocation depends on a number of factors such as the number of pupils with care/medical needs leaving, the number of new pupils, the changing needs of the pupils and any surplus identified. Additional applications for special needs assistant support may be made at any time with the result that the individual situation of any school can change.

Given the variables involved and the transitional arrangements mentioned above, it is not possible at present to give an indication of the number of special needs assistants whose employment will be terminated from September 2009 and the number of schools involved.