Written answers
Tuesday, 31 March 2015
Department of Education and Skills
Special Educational Needs Staffing
Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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599. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to review the current provisions of the job sharing scheme for special needs assistants in both primary and post primary schools requiring assistants to share a whole-time post on a 50:50 basis; if she is aware that these working hours are causing great hardship for assistants, as it means they subsequently do not qualify for certain social welfare payments while on the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13334/15]
Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The position is that the provisions of the Job Sharing Scheme for Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools are outlined in my Department's Circular Letter 41/2014.
In accordance with the Circular, Special Needs Assistants may apply to share a wholetime post on a 50:50 basis i.e. 16 hours per week in both Primary and Post Primary Schools. The terms of the scheme were agreed with the School Management Bodies and the relevant Trade Unions and have general application to all Special Needs Assistants.
Rules pertaining to social welfare payments are a matter for the Department of Social Protection.
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