Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school or a parent appeals the removal of a special needs assistant from a child, will the actual appeal process concentrate on that individual child or will the process open up and involve other children in that school who had been left with SNAs in the initial review. [19241/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. 10,575 whole time equivalent posts are being provided for the coming school year. To manage this limited resource, 475 of these posts will be retained for allocation over the coming school year to address significant emergency cases; new entrants with special needs; or new assessments or injuries acquired during the school year.

The NCSE will advise schools early in the new school year of a review process to review allocation decisions to ensure that correct procedures were followed and that they comply with my Department's policy. The merits of individual allocation decisions will not be open to appeal under this mechanism.

It will be expected that schools, before requesting a review, will be in a position to demonstrate that they have made every effort to manage their allocation of SNA posts to best effect.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the growing concern and the apparent lack of consistency or use of assessment tools for diagnosis in relation to the assessment of a child or children with special needs or behavioural problems in the current review process. [19242/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for processing resource applications 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 DES policy. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating supports. The responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational resources to be allocated to pupils with special educational needs resides with the NCSE through the SENO. The consideration of professional reports is an integral part of determining the extent of supports to be provided for pupils with special educational needs. The NCSE has outlined the processes involved in the consideration of applications for special needs supports in its Circular 01/05 which is available on www.ncse.ie. The co-operation and co-ordination of the education and health sectors is critical in the planning and delivery of services to children with special educational needs. The NCSE circular 03/08, which is also available on www.ncse.ie, clarifies the respective roles and functions of the NCSE and the HSE and their respective personnel in carrying out assessments of and sanctioning resources to support children with special educational needs.I wish to advise the Deputy that it is a matter of professional discretion what diagnostic tools are used in the assessment of individual children. If the Deputy has a concern in relation to an individual case I would ask him to forward the details directly to the NCSE.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the growing concern in relation to the withdrawal of special needs assistants and particularly around the way a special needs education organiser in the current review process can make a life changing decision by reading reports and observing a child possibly having a good day over a few minutes. [19243/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. 10,575 whole time equivalent posts are being provided for the coming school year. To manage this limited resource, 475 of these posts will be retained for allocation over the coming school year to address significant emergency cases; new entrants with special needs; or new assessments or injuries acquired during the school year.

The NCSE will advise schools early in the new school year of a review process to review allocation decisions to ensure that correct procedures were followed and that they comply with my Department's policy. The merits of individual allocation decisions will not be open to appeal under this mechanism.

It will be expected that schools, before requesting a review, will be in a position to demonstrate that they have made every effort to manage their allocation of SNA posts to best effect.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the growing concern in relation to the withdrawal of special needs assistants and particularly around the way a special needs education organiser can be deemed to be qualified to overrule the recommendations of eminently qualified psychiatrists, medical practitioners or a professional in relation to a child's special care needs. [19244/11]

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.

The Deputy will be aware that the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) and Disability Acts set out clearly the role and functions of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) and their staff in carrying out assessments and with regard to the provision of services for children with special educational needs.

Responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools, or to individual pupils, rests with the NCSE in accordance with my Department's policy. Whereas health reports provide valuable assistance to education providers in identifying a diagnosis or identifying appropriate interventions, health staff are asked not to include references to the specific quantum of educational resources in their reports, but should state the outcome of tests carried out and the range of needs of the child as clearly as possible as the responsibility for allocating educational supports and resources to children or schools, rests with the NCSE.