Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 398: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Meath who was employed as an special needs assistant for seven years 2005 to 2011 was only offered a redundancy payment for four years. [19237/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The redundancy arrangements for Special Needs Assistants were agreed at national level at the Labour Relations Commission. These arrangements are outlined in, and are governed by, my Department's circular 58/2006. The circular is available on my Department's website. The person referred to by the Deputy was employed by two different schools during the period 2005 - 2011. The person ceased employment with the first school in 2007 by way of resignation. No redundancy situation existed in that school at the time and the vacant post was filled by another SNA. The person referred to by the Deputy was subsequently employed by another school for 4 years (2007 - 2011). When the post became surplus to the allocation of SNA resources to that school, the post was made redundant. My Department issued a redundancy payment to the person in line with the agreed arrangements as outlined in circular 58/2006, i.e. the period of service reckonable for redundancy payment purposes will only consist of the period of the Special Needs Assistant's continuous service in the school in which she/he was last employed. The redundancy payment was calculated in accordance with the terms outlined in the circular.