Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of special needs assistants employed in pre-school settings; if these are included in the overall national cap of 10,575; his views on whether those SNAs employed in pre-school setting should be excluded from the national cap only relates to primary and secondary level. [55625/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the vast majority of supports for childcare, including pre-school education, is provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The principal vehicle for the delivery of pre-school education is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which was introduced in January 2010 and provides for early learning in a formal setting to children in the year before they commence primary school.

The HSE is responsible for the provision of care support for pupils attending pre-schools.

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated to Special Schools and to mainstream Primary and Post Primary schools to support pupils with special educational needs. This may in some instances include provision for children who are enrolled to early intervention classes in recognised primary schools, or special schools, where support is provided for as part of the schools total quantum of SNA support. However, SNA support is not provided to pre-school services which operate outside of the primary or special school provision. Where care support is required for such children attending pre-schools, it is provided by the HSE.