Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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276. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the allocation of a special needs assistant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; when an assessment will be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27372/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department.

SNAs are allocated to schools to enable them to support pupils with disabilities who also have significant care needs. The NCSE allocates a quantum of SNA support for each school annually taking into account the care needs of all of the qualifying children enrolled in the school, and on the basis of the assessed care needs of the children.

In cases of applications for SNA support, where the professional report has identified the care needs as being related specifically to behaviour, including such applications for junior infants, in general it will not be possible to consider access to SNA support until the school has set out the specific strategies that have been employed and that have been implemented to minimise the pupil's difficulties and to promote more adaptive behaviours.

Where SNA support was not initially allocated to a school for a child in a junior infant class, but where it can be demonstrated that the child requires SNA assistance in the classroom environment, the school may apply to the NCSE for additional SNA support or for a review of their SNA allocation.

All schools were advised to apply to the NCSE for SNA support for the 2013/14 school year by 15th March 2013. The NCSE are currently processing these applications and schools will be notified by SENOs of their resource teaching and SNA allocation for 2013/14 in advance of the coming school year, based on the number of valid applications received.

All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.