Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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908. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an special needs assistant in a school (details supplied) in County Kerry, as there is speculation that this service may be removed, even though the special needs assistant is providing an excellent service that it is much needed and required in this school, and the pupils are advancing and benefitting greatly from this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20798/15]

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, which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.

Circular 30/2014 sets out clearly the circumstances in which SNA support is allocated to schools, which is to support the assessed care needs of pupils with special educational needs. It also distinguishes between the role of the class teacher and resource teachers whose role is to teach the child, and the role of an SNA which to provide for the care needs of a child.

All schools have been asked to apply to the NCSE for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March, 2015.

The NCSE will consider all applications for SNA support which have been made by schools.

All schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, will be advised of their SNA allocations for the 2015/16 school year, noting the children who qualify for SNA support, prior to the end of the current school year.

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.