Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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176. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a request for special needs assistance in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20944/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated to Special Schools and to mainstream Primary and Post Primary schools to assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.

At present there is no scheme in place to provide for additional care support needs of children with disabilities attending pre-school. However, there are a number of measures currently in place in the Department of Children and youth Affairs to ensure that the free pre-school year is more accessible to children with special needs.

These include an exemption from the upper age limit where a child would benefit from starting primary school at a later age. In addition, children with special needs can apply to have the pre-school year split over two years on a pro-rata basis, for example availing of the programme for 2 days a week in the first year and for 3 days a week in the second year.

Improving access to the pre-school year for children with special needs is a priority for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

The Departments of Health and Education and Skills and Children and Youth Affairs are currently working together to identify a workable model for supports to pre-school children with special needs. This will be followed by very close co-operation between the sectors in defining/developing such a model and in making an agreed cross-departmentally supported proposal for the resources required to implement it.