Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update in the need for appropriate numbers of special needs assistants to meet the needs of pupils at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23939/11]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional special needs assistant posts will be approved in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24202/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 231 together.

The Deputy will be aware the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating 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, which now includes a requirement for the NCSE to have regard to an overall cap on the number of SNA posts.

As set out in my Department's Circular 0042/2011, in order for the NCSE to complete the processing of applications for mainstream schools in the first instance, the existing 2010/11 level of SNA supports have been maintained in special schools for the coming school year, other than for schools with declining enrolments, with a review to take place in Autumn of the 11/12 school year. This review will also take into account the Policy Analysis and Value for Money Review of the SNA scheme and policy advice received from the NCSE on the Future of Special Schools and Classes.

Therefore, the existing level of SNAs in special schools, other than those whose enrolments have declined significantly, has been maintained in order to assist and protect the most vulnerable children in the education system.

The special school in Kildare, referred to by the Deputy, has therefore not experienced a reduction in SNA support over the level of SNA support provided at the end of the 2011 school year, but has maintained its existing high levels of SNA support.

The overall level of SNA support in this school is presently being reviewed by the NCSE. Notwithstanding the outcome of this review, it is the position of both my Department and the NCSE that given the exceptionally high levels of teaching and support staff which have been allocated to the school, that the school has sufficient support within its overall allocation to provide for the teaching and care requirements of all of the children enrolled to the school, pending the outcome of this review.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the need for appropriate numbers of special needs assistants to meet the needs of pupils at a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23940/11]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding staffing levels at a school. (details supplied). [24001/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 216 together.

The Deputy will be aware the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating teaching staff and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to special schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Departments 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.

As set out in my Departments Circular 0042/2011, in order for the NCSE to complete the processing of applications for mainstream schools in the first instance, the existing 2010/11 level of SNA supports have been maintained in special schools for the coming school year, other than for schools with declining enrolments, with a review to take place in Autumn of the 11/12 school year. This review will also take into account the Policy Analysis and Value for Money Review of the SNA scheme and policy advice received from the NCSE on the Future of Special Schools and Classes.

In relation to teaching posts, Circular 0042/11 states that there are a small number of special schools which have significant excess teacher posts and that the NCSE may therefore contact such schools to review the individual circumstances in these schools. The Circular indicates that the NCSE may suppress a post in schools which have excess teaching posts in order to create a post in a school which does not have excess posts and which has growing pupil numbers.

The overall levels of teaching and SNA support in the school referred to by the Deputy in County Cork, is currently being reviewed by the NCSE.

The school caters for pupils with severe/profound disability and ASD. The correct teacher allocation ratio for schools catering for children with severe and profound disability is 6:1. In 2010/11 the school had 7 approved class teaching posts and 3 supernumerary posts and 28 SNAs. The enrolment is 38 pupils, including the 9 new children enrolled for September 2011. One of the surplus teachers retired at the end of the last school year and the school is not eligible for a replacement. A further supernumerary post has been withdrawn leaving the school with 1 supernumerary post above its staffing allocation.

Notwithstanding the outcome of this review, it is the position of both my Department and the NCSE that given the exceptionally high levels of teaching and support staff which have been allocated to the school, that the school has sufficient support within its overall allocation to enable it provide for the teaching and care support requirements of all of the children enrolled to the school, pending the outcome of this review.