Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a payment will issue to a former special needs assistant (details supplied) who is currently unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35545/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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An application for redundancy from the person referred to by the Deputy was received by my Department on 9th September 2011. Applications are processed in date order of receipt and every effort is being made to process these applications as quickly as possible. Applications received in May/June 2011 are currently being processed.

Extra resources have been assigned to the Redundancy Unit to ensure that Special Needs Assistants that have been made redundant will have their claims for payment processed as quickly as possible. My Department is also now prioritising the processing of redundancy applications from those SNAs who have not obtained alternative employment in a non teaching capacity in primary, secondary or community/comprehensive schools in the current school year.