Written answers

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reverse the decision to cut special needs assistants by a further 10%; and if he will make a commitment to review the current guidelines and increase the number of allocated SNAs per school. [26199/14]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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There has been no cut to the number of special needs assistants in schools. In fact, in December 2013, the Govenment announced it was increasing the number of SNA posts available for allocation to schools, in order to reflect demographic growth and increased demand for SNA support. The existing provision for 10,575 SNA posts has been increased by 390 to 10,965 posts, which are being made available for allocation to the end of 2014, of which 10,656 posts are currently in place. The increased provision will bring to almost 11,000 the number of SNA posts available to work with children who have an assessed care need requiring SNA support in primary, post primary, and special schools. This will ensure that the Department's policy of ensuring that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support.

In June 2011, my Department published a Value for Money and Policy Review of the SNA scheme. In May 2013, the National Council for Special Education published its Policy Advice on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools. Both reports concluded that the SNA scheme has been highly successful in supporting the care needs of children with special needs in schools and with assisting to facilitate their integration and inclusion. However, the reports also concluded that the intended purpose of the scheme was not always generally well understood by parents or schools and that the scope and purpose of the scheme should be clarified for schools.

My Department accordingly prepared a new Circular for schools, which was designed to clarify the scope and purpose of the SNA scheme, in accordance with the recommendations of the reports and policy advice noted above. It should not be assumed that this will automatically lead to a reduction in SNA support for individual pupils, or for schools who have pupils who have continuing care needs. The purpose of Circular 0030/2014 which issued on 10th April last, is therefore to clarify the scope and purpose of the SNA scheme for schools, in accordance with the recommendations of these reports.

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