Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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232. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants in Dublin schools for the academic years 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20110/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports including resource teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

Details of all of the SNA allocations which have been made to schools by the NCSE for the 2012/13 school year, on a per county basis, are available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has requested the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to provide policy advice to my Department, in accordance with its role under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, on the appropriate nature and configuration of educational supports which should be provided to schools to support children with special educational needs. It is intended that the significant resources to support children with Special Educational Needs are deployed to ensure the best possible outcomes for students. The advice will be a key input into achieving this goal. The advice from the National Council for Special Education is expected in the coming months.