Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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161. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reverse the cuts to staffing for pupils with special needs. [22075/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Expenditure supporting pupils with special educational needs in 2015 will amount to over €1.3bn.

This year we have again increased the number of Resource Teachers and SNAs which will be allocated to schools, while over 120 new special classes will open for 2015/16 school year.

6,454 resource teacher posts will be allocated to schools for the start of the coming school year, which is an increase of 554 posts or over 9%, since September 2014.

In addition, 11,330 SNA posts, an increase of 365 posts, or over 3%, are available to the NCSE to allocate to the end of 2015, which is also a greater level than has ever previously been available.

I welcome the fact, that even in the constrained economic circumstances we have faced in recent years, we have been able to continue to meet the needs of children with special educational needs attending our schools.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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162. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) in County Meath is losing a special needs assistant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22546/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs.

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.

It is important to note that each school's allocation of SNA support can change from year to year and may be increased or decreased as students who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. New students with care needs may, or may not, enrol to replace students who have left, for example, or SNA allocations may be decreased where a child's care needs have diminished over time.

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.

The NCSE invited schools to make applications for SNA support for children who have assessed care needs for the coming 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015, for their consideration.

The NCSE are currently considering all of the applications for support which have been received, including those which have been received after the 18th March, and will advise schools of the outcome of their applications ahead of the new school year.

Schools who wish to appeal the level of SNA allocation made to them may do so via the appeals process which is set out at www.ncse.ie

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.