Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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285. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the NCSE policy on the provision of special needs assistants at preschool level; the number of assistants provided to children at this level funded by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29462/15]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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286. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's policy on the provision of special needs assistants for children in early-years education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29463/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 286 together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the vast majority of supports for childcare, including preschool education, is provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The principal vehicle for the delivery of preschool education is the free Preschool Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which was introduced in January 2010 and provides for early learning in a formal setting to children in the year before they commence primary school.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) currently provides for care support for pupils with special needs attending a range of HSE funded re-schools.

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.

This may, in some instances, include provision for children who are enrolled to early intervention classes in recognised primary schools, or special schools, where support is provided for as part of the schools total quantum of SNA support. There were 95 such classes in operation in the 2014/15 school year.

However, as set out in my Departments Circular 0030/2014 in relation to the SNA scheme, SNA support is not provided to preschool services which operate outside of the primary or special school provision.