Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of pupils within the education system who are entitled to special needs assistants in schools; the number of SNAs that are allocated to them. [37320/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, 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 a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. Where children have significant care needs whereby they may need additional support to be able to attend school, the NCSE may make an allocation of SNA support to the school to assist that child.

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 deployment of SNAs within schools is then a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

To date, the NCSE has allocated over 10,900 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts to schools supporting students with special educational needs for the 2014/2015 school year. As the SNA allocation process is still ongoing, the exact numbers of SNAs and pupils being supported will become clear following the finalisation of enrolments of students in mainstream schools as at 30th September.

Should a school wish to make an application for additional SNA support for a child who was not previously considered for SNA support or who is due to enrol to a school, they may do so to the NCSE.

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.

I will arrange for the Deputy's question to be forwarded to the NCSE for their direct reply to the Deputy in respect of information regarding the number of pupils supported by SNAs in the 2014/15 school year, in line with its role in the allocation of SNAs to schools.