Written answers

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Department of Education and Science

Special Educational Needs

8:00 pm

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 613: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on the number of special needs assistants employed in schools in County Clare as of 31 December 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3497/10]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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There were 261 Special Needs Assistants (whole time equivalents) employed in County Clare on 31 December 2009 and paid on payrolls operated by my Department. Two hundred and twenty were serving in primary schools and forty one were serving in secondary and community/comprehensive schools. The Deputy should contact Co. Clare Vocational Education Committee in relation to the number of special needs assistants employed by them.

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 Special Needs Assistants to primary and post primary schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 614: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on the review being undertaken in schools regarding the provision of special needs assistants; the number of assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3498/10]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is at present carrying out a review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations in all schools with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts, as outlined in my Department's Circular 07/02, are properly met. This is an exercise in identifying surplus posts which are in the system and which do not meet the current criteria – posts that have been retained when a pupil's care needs have diminished or where the pupil has left.

SENOs are communicating the outcome of the review directly to schools as the review progresses. 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. It is expected that the NCSE will have completed the review by the end of March 2010.

I wish to assure the Deputy that the SNA support will continue to be made available to schools which have enrolled pupils who qualify for such support.

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