Written answers

Tuesday, 23 June 2015

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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566. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when she expects the entitlements in respect of a special needs assistant to be decided, and the school notified in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1, with particular reference to the forthcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25071/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan 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.

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.

All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, while 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.

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