James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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510. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistant posts being funded in schools in counties Longford and Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38183/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department.

The NCSE allocates a quantum of SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support. To date, the NCSE have allocated over 10,900 SNA posts to schools for the 2014/15 school year.

These details are available on the NCSE website, www.ncse.ie, and detail the allocations made for each school on a per county basis, including details of the SNA allocations made for schools in Counties Longford and Westmeath.

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.

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.