Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills of those special needs assistants who have recently been made redundant, the number on the panel established by his Department. [41369/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The detailed arrangements regarding supplementary assignment arrangements for SNAs for the 2013/2014 school year are set out in Departmental Circular 0037/2013 which issued on 1 July 2013 and which is available on the Department's website at the following address: .

With effect from 1 May 2013 once an SNA with a minimum of one year's service is notified by his/her employer that he/she is to be made redundant then he/she shall be deemed to be a member of a Supplementary Assignment Panel for SNAs. With the exception of SNAs who have been re-employed on permanent contracts or have chosen to opt out of the panel in accordance with the terms of Paragraph 39 of the circular, all SNAs who have been made redundant since 1 May 2013 are members of the SNA Supplementary Assignment Panel.

For the 2013/2014 school year a list of SNAs who have been deemed to be members of the Supplementary Assignment Panel will not be made or kept by the Department of Education and Skills. The operation of this panel is as described and outlined in Circular 0037/2013. This enables all eligible SNAs, who have the requisite SUPPLEMENTARY ASSIGNMENT PANEL FORM 2013/2014 completed by their former employer, to apply for any SNA position that is advertised by a school or an ETB with no geographical limitations imposed. The Department has set up a dedicated e-mail address to deal with all queries in relation to the SNA Supplementary Assignment Panel and any queries in respect of the operation of the Panel can be directed to this dedicated e-mail address snasupplementpanel@education.gov.ie.