Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when it is intended to allocate the remaining special needs assistants; the number of requests from schools seeking SNA support; the number already allocated to primary and second level schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25331/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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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.

Having considered all of the applications for SNA support which have been received from mainstream primary and post primary schools, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has now advised all mainstream schools of their SNA allocations for the 2011/12 school year, taking into account the number of valid applications for SNA support and the assessed care needs of the children concerned. SNA provision in special schools is currently being reviewed.

As not all applications for SNA support can be made in advance of the school year, in order to prudently manage this valuable but limited resource, the NCSE and my Department decided that 475 of the 10,575 posts should be retained in order to allocate them over the coming school year in cases such as emergency, appeals, acquired injuries or new school entrants with special needs care. Approximately 10,100 whole time equivalent (WTE) SNA posts have therefore been allocated to date.

6,030 WTE posts have been allocated to primary schools, 1,974 to post primary schools and 2,028 to special schools (including special schools for autism). In addition, there are 60 early child care workers posts which are included under the cap on SNA posts. The NCSE intends to publish details of all of the Special Needs Assistant allocations which they have made to schools to date, for the 2011/12 school year. This will be available on the NCSE website shortly at www.ncse.ie.

The NCSE has capacity to increase SNA allocations for schools from the retained pool of 475 posts. However, as these posts have to last for the school year the NCSE must manage the allocation of any additional posts in a measured and prioritised manner. The care needs of pupils for whom any new applications are being made must be assessed in the context of the existing levels of SNA support available to the school.

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