Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the special needs unit in a secondary school (details supplied) in Dublin North; if this unit will provide for children with Down's syndrome; if not, the other provisions being made for such students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22128/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Firstly, I wish to explain to the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes the allocation of resource teaching hours to schools as well as the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required and the discontinuation of such classes where the need no longer exists. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such supports.

I understand that the 'special needs unit' referred to by the Deputy is a special class for pupils with Autism. I wish to clarify for the Deputy in respect of special classes that schools are required to observe Department policy in enrolling children to these classes. This includes having a professional assessment confirming that the child's attainment levels meet the Department's criteria and a recommendation for special class placement. As such, enrolment in the special class in question is confined to pupils with a diagnosis of Autism. Schools are eligible for resources for special classes when the pupils enrolled meet the Department's criteria and where there are enough eligible pupils to retain a class.

Second level schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with Down Syndrome with an assessed special educational need, are allocated additional resource teaching support on the basis of the pupil's special educational needs. The number of additional teaching hours sanctioned ranges from one-and-a-half hours to five hours per week, depending on the pupil's special educational needs.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 193: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) in September 2010, had 19 attending children with special needs and an allocation of 12 special needs assistants; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that in September 2011 this school will have 31 attending children with special needs and an allocation of 13 special needs assistants and that while there has been an increase of 1 SNA that at least two SNAs have had their hours cut; if he has satisfied himself that these children will be adequately catered for and receive the education to which they are entitled, with less time with a special needs assistant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22137/11]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) has at least two children with autism who are ready to transition to mainstream school but cannot due to the lack of required special needs assistants to enable them to do so; his plans to rectify this in order that these children may transition to mainstream according to their education plan; his further plans to immediately rectify this situation in general in order that other children ready to move to mainstream may do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22138/11]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the only having access to a special needs assistant for a child with special needs is wholly inadequate; if children with special needs attending a school (details supplied) will have one to one special needs assistants in the coming school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22139/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 to 195, inclusive, together.

First, I wish to clarify for 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.

I wish to clarify also that the recruitment and deployment of SNAs within schools are matters for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

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 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 is currently in the process of informing schools of their annual SNA allocation for the coming school year.