Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

512. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the level of special care assistance that will be available for the 2015 / 2016 school year; if this provision will remain at the same level as the 2014 / 2015 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27456/15]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

513. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views that it is appropriate that no decision has yet been made on the allocation of special needs assistant care in schools for the 2015 / 2016 school year, given that schools have now closed for the summer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27457/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 and 513 together.

The National Council for Special Education(NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.

The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria by are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.

All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.

On conclusion of this process, the NCSE evaluated the level of SNAs required to meet the needs of schools for the coming year and advised the Department on the quantum of SNAs that would need to be provided to meet this need.

This information was received by the Department on 15th June and my Department is currently working to finalise its consideration of this as quickly as possible.

Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16 will be available on the NCSE website on completion of this process.