Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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30. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will abolish the cap on special needs assistants numbers and allocate resources based on need in accordance with the EPSEN Act 2004. [37928/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Despite the ongoing requirement to make expenditure savings across a range of areas, expenditure in 2013 supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs was some €1.3bn or approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department.

This year, provision is being made for up to 10,965 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). This is an increase of 390 posts on the previous cap of 10,575 posts. In september, over 10,900 SNAs were allocated to schools.

This will ensure that all pupils who need SNA support will be able to access such support based on their care needs.

My Department recently clarified the criteria under which SNA support is allocated to schools, to support the care needs of qualifying children, in Circular 0030/2014.

Further consideration of the number of SNA posts which may be required in future years will take place as part of the forthcoming budgetary and estimates process.