Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a special needs assistant to be moved from a primary school to a secondary school to assist in a child's (details supplied) ongoing education in the north Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18097/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy 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, which now includes a requirement for them to have regard to an overall cap on numbers of posts available. Schools have been advised to make applications to the NCSE for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2012/13 school year by 16th March, 2012. Schools will subsequently be advised by the NCSE of their allocation for the 2012/13 school year, based on the number of valid applications received and in the case of SNA support, the extent of the care needs of qualifying children. It is open to schools to contact their local SENO in this regard, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.