Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he and his Department met the ongoing requirements in respect of special needs assistants at all levels in all areas throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19916/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that 10,575 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts have been made available for allocation to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) throughout the school year, subject to qualifying applications being received.

This figure represents a modest increase in the number of SNA posts allocated in recent years from 9,824 in 2007 to 10,442 in 2008, 10,342 in 2009 and 10,543 in 2010.

There has therefore been no reduction in the overall number of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts available for allocation to schools this year.

It is considered that with equitable management and distribution of these resources that there will be sufficient posts to provide access to SNA support for all children who require care support to attend school, in accordance with my Departments criteria.

In September 2011 the NCSE allocated 10,100 posts to schools while retaining 475 posts to cover late and emergency applications. This measure ensured that there would be sufficient posts to support all children who required such support in line with Departmental criteria. Details of the 10,100 SNA allocations made by the NCSE have been published on their website at www.ncse.ie.

By March 2012 the NCSE had allocated 10,299 WTE posts to schools.

It should also be noted that no reduction has made to the overall number of SNA or Resource Teaching posts which will be available for allocation to schools for the 2012/13 school year. This is representative of the Governments commitment to protecting services for children with special educational needs, at a time when there has been a requirement to make savings across a range of expenditure areas.

Schools have been advised to make applications to the NCSE for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2012/13 school year by 16 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.