Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 878: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science if she will instruct the National Council for Special Education to cease the cost cutting review of special needs assistants; her views on the harmful impacts that these cutbacks will have on children with special educational needs; if she will examine the case of a school (details suppled) in Dublin 4 that is at risk of losing three teachers and five special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14520/10]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 902: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in Dublin 4 is going to lose five special needs assistants and three special needs teachers in view of the fact that this is a dedicated special school catering for children of high dependency with very special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14843/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 878 and 902 together.

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 educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

The NCSE is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. The review of SNA allocations being carried out by the NCSE, through its network of SENOs is with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts 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. At the same time the NCSE is allocating additional posts where the criteria are met. It is not a cost cutting exercise. The terms and criteria for the SNA scheme have not changed.

Following the review, the SENO advised the school in question that the number of SNA posts was being reduced from 19 to 16. The school has appealed this decision. There will be no change to the number of SNAs until after the appeal has been processed by the NCSE. The school was also advised that teaching posts were at risk due to the current profile of children enrolled not being in accordance with the school's official designation. However, the school was not advised that any teaching posts would be suppressed at this point.

I wish to confirm for the Deputy that my Department is very supportive of the SNA scheme. It has been a key factor in both ensuring the successful integration of children with special educational needs into mainstream education and providing support to pupils enrolled in special schools and special classes. The SNA scheme will continue to be supported.

My Department is concerned to ensure that there is a consistent application of policy in relation to the allocation of special needs supports across the country. This is all that is happening at the moment. I do not intend to instruct the NCSE to cease its review or to interfere in its review process.

I want to take this opportunity to state that the NCSE will continue to support schools, parents, children and teachers and resources will continue to be allocated to schools to meet children's needs in line with my Department's policy. In cases where adjustments to the staffing allocation in a school are necessary, the NCSE will liaise with the school authorities regarding the adjustment process.