Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to set out his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a full-time nurse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21002/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.

The NCSE invited schools to make applications for SNA support for children who have assessed care needs for the coming 2014/15 school year by 26th March 2014, for their consideration.

The NCSE has advised that access to SNA support will be provided for the child in question for the coming school year.

Circular 0030/2014 provides details of the kind of care support for which an SNA will usually be provided, including assistance with medication, feeding, toileting and mobility. However, if it is considered that additional nursing assistance is also required, in addition to the care assistance support which an SNA can provide, an application for such support should be made to the Health Service Executive.