Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria for a scheme and the position regarding an application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18618/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The scheme to which the Deputy refers is the July Provision Scheme. Participation in the scheme is an option for all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism or severe to profound general learning disability that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. Home based tuition of 10 hours per week for the four weeks in question is provided to children who attend schools which choose not to participate in the scheme. For home based provision my Department's preference is that the tuition be undertaken by a fully qualified teacher. However where parents have difficulties in sourcing fully qualified teachers my Department accepts some tutors with alternative qualifications and modifies the rate of payment accordingly.

Officials in my Department have contacted the parent to whom the Deputy refers and have advised her with regard to her application for home based provision.

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm the number of special needs assistants in County Cork who will lose their jobs as a result of the decision to cap numbers of whole-time equivalent SNAs to 10,575; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18624/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that 10,575 whole time equivalent (WTE) posts are being provided for SNA support for the coming school year. This is a significant number of posts and unlike other areas of the public sector vacancies are being filled up to this number.

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.

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. As this process is ongoing, it is not possible to provide details of the level of allocation of SNAs in any given area

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the numbers of special needs assistants employed at each school in County Monaghan for the school year beginning September 2010 in tabular form; the corresponding figure for each of the years 2009, 2008 and 2007; the expected figures for 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18632/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The information requested by the Deputy on the number of special needs assistants employed in County Monaghan is not readily available.

The number of Special Needs Assistants employed nationally from 2007 to 2010 is set out below. The details for each year are the December figures for the year in question. The primary schools information is inclusive of the special schools details.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating special needs resources to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The NCSE will continue to support schools, parents, children and teachers and special needs assistants will continue to be deployed to schools to meet children's needs in line with my Department's policy. Number of Special Needs Assistants