Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants at a school (details supplied) in County Cork for the school year 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and the allocation for the 2015-2016 year; if there is currently an appeal for the allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32426/15]

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 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 which 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.

Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16, including the school referred to by the Deputy, are now available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.

Details of SNA allocations for 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 are also available on the NCSE website.

The NCSE has set out details of the manner in which a school or parent may appeal the level of SNA allocation which has been made to support a child in school, to the NCSE, on its website www.ncse.ie.

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.

As the consideration of appeals is an operational matter for the NCSE, I will arrange to have this element of the Deputy's question referred to the NCSE for their consideration and direct reply to the Deputy.