Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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1436. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in view of both principal and deputy principal allowances based on teacher numbers, her plans to give extra allowances to cover the number of special needs assistants/escorts in schools; the number of SNAs and escorts at primary level; her plans to increase the ancillary grant to schools to take into account the extra administration work associated with having SNAs escorts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34728/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that 8,801 whole time equivalent SNA posts have been allocated to primary schools, including special schools, by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), for the start of the current school year. The NCSE continues to receive applications for SNA support from schools and these are being processed by SENOs.

There are also currently 1,400 bus escorts employed to support pupils attending mainstream Primary, Post Primary and Special Schools. An Administration Allowance of 5% is included in the funding provided to schools in respect of the scheme.

An enhanced capitation grant is provided to special schools and schools operating special classes for children with special educational needs.

My Department has maintained, and in some areas increased the overall level of spending on provision for children with special educational needs in our schools, in recent years, despite a requirement to make expenditure reductions elsewhere. There are, however, no plans at this time to increase the level of such ancillary grants provided to schools.

I wish to advise the Deputy also that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform undertook a thorough examination of the payment of all allowances in the public sector during 2012. Following this review of allowances, the Government approved a number of measures relating to public service allowances for new beneficiaries. Subsequent to this review, the matter of allowances payable in the Education sector was the subject of an in-depth consideration by the Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) at its hearing on 24 October 2012. All of the relevant material in respect of all allowances payable in the Education sector was provided to the Committee, as part of this examination, and I understand that this material is still available on the PAC's website.

There are no plans to extend the allocation of extra allowances, as set out in the Deputy's question, at this time.