Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 64 of 30 March 2011, if the person (details supplied) will be facilitated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18260/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that 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. This now includes a requirement for the NCSE to have regard to an overall cap on the number of SNA posts. The NCSE has issued a circular to all schools advising of the allocation process for the 2011/2012 school year. A key feature of the amended scheme will be to provide for an annual allocation of Special Needs Assistant support to eligible schools. The NCSE asked schools to submit all applications for SNA support to them by 18th March, 2011 and are currently in the process of informing schools of their annual SNA allocation for the coming school year.

In relation to applications for Resource teaching support, Circular 37/2011 provides information to schools regarding the arrangements which are being put in place for the 2011-12 school year for the allocation of Resource Teaching hours for children with assessed special educational needs. The main elements of the arrangements outlined in the Circular are that for the coming 2011-12 school year, an allocation of 90% of valid identified resource teaching allocations will be made to schools, in the first instance, to provide schools with the majority of their allocation, while also preserving enough capacity to deal with late applications and ensure that the Department of Education and Skills can remain within Employment Control Framework obligations. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) have now notified schools of their allocations for the coming school year. Schools have also been asked to forward as soon as possible any outstanding applications, or additional outstanding materials to support incomplete applications, to the NCSE for consideration, but in any event by no later than 16th September 2011. Following consideration of all of the applications received, if the level of demand permits, the initial 90% allocation may be revisited and increased.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review SP ED 02/05 in order that Down's syndrome qualifies for special needs assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18269/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to clarify for the Deputy that pupils with Down's syndrome may receive additional teaching support in primary schools, either under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, if the pupil's educational psychological assessment places the pupil in the mild general learning disability/high incidence disability category, or through an allocation of individual additional resource teaching hours if the child is assessed as being within the low incidence category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05.

Pupils with Down's syndrome who have care needs may also receive access to Special Needs Assistant support. A review of the General Allocation Model has been undertaken and completed by my Department. The issue of whether Down's syndrome should be classified as a low incidence disability in all instances was considered as part of this review. The recommendations of the review will be considered in the context of the Departments Employment Control Framework obligations and competing demands on teacher numbers and educational resources.

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 215: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will use the schools inspectorate at both primary and secondary levels to ensure that special needs assistants are best placed in terms of pupil or student needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18273/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated to schools to enable them to support the care needs of pupils with disabilities who also have a significant medical need or a significant impairment of physical or sensory impairment. Students with an assessed special educational need who present with significantly challenging behaviour may also qualify for some SNA support.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which was established under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004 (EPSEN Act) has responsibility for processing resource applications, including applications for SNA support, for children with disabilities who have special educational needs through its regional Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs). The NCSE also has responsibility for planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services for students with special educational needs, in accordance with my Department's policy.

The NCSE may seek the advice of my Departments inspectorate division, if required, on educational matters concerning children with special educational needs. However it is the responsibility of the NCSE to allocate SNA posts to schools and to ensure that SNAs are best placed to meet the care needs of eligible pupils.

The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating supports which now includes a requirement for the NCSE to have regard to an overall cap on the number of SNA posts. The NCSE has issued a circular to all schools advising of the 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 asked schools to submit all applications for SNA support to them by 18th March 2011 and are currently in the process of informing schools of their annual SNA allocation for the coming school year.