Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 142: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the reduction in special needs assistants in a school (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8566/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Firstly, I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time.

The National Council for Special Education (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 allocating such support, which now includes a requirement for the NCSE to have regard to an overall cap on the number of SNA posts.

This number is 10,575 whole time equivalent (WTE) posts. This is a significant number of posts and unlike other areas of the public sector vacancies are being filled up to this number. It also represents continual increases in the number of SNAs over recent years. For example, there were 10,543 WTE SNA posts in place at the end of 2010 and 10,342 at end 2009. It is considered that with equitable and careful management and distribution of these resources that there should be sufficient posts to provide access to SNA support for all children who require such care support to attend school, in accordance with Departmental criteria.

The NCSE recently issued a circular to all schools advising of the SNA allocation process for the 2011/2012 school year. A key feature of the amended scheme will be to provide for an annual allocation of SNA support to eligible schools. The NCSE are considering applications for additional SNA support in the context of this process for the 2011/12 school year. Schools are currently engaging with the NCSE in this regard ahead of the next school year and the NCSE will review the SNA staffing requirements for schools, taking into account all of the students who will be attending school from September next and any new students that the school are intending to enrol.

My Department and I will be glad to consider any suggestions from school management or parent representative organisations as to how the allocation of SNA resources can best be managed within the context of the overall limit on SNA numbers established. In this regard I am committed to making whatever improvements are possible to the resource allocation system.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 143: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will support the case of a school (details supplied). [8648/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (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 NCSE operates within my Department's policy in allocating this support. Officials at my Department have been in contact with the NCSE regarding the matter referred to by the Deputy and have been advised that the NCSE has not notified the school of a reduction in its level of teaching staff. I have arranged for the details supplied to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.