Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is satisfied with the current special needs assistant allocation levels in the education system, particularly in the early years of school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33950/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy may be aware, in July last, I secured Government approval for an additional 610 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts which may be made available for allocation to schools to support children with special educational needs with assessed care needs.

From the beginning of September, there are 11,820 whole time equivalent SNA posts available in schools to support children with special educational needs with assessed care needs. This is the highest level of SNA allocation that we have ever had and builds on the increases of 365 additional SNA posts provided for in last year's budget announcement and the 390 additional SNA posts announced in December 2013. In total there has been an increase of 11.7% in SNA posts available for allocation to schools since this Government came to office.

These extra posts will ensure that the Government's policy of ensuring that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support.

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 is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.

Circular 0030/2014 clarifies the purpose of the SNA scheme which is to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. The circular is based on recommendations contained in my Department's Value for Money and Policy Review of the SNA scheme and also the National Council for Special Education Policy Advice on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools.

Both reports concluded that the SNA scheme has been highly successful in supporting the care needs of children with special needs in schools, and with assisting to facilitate their integration and inclusion. However, the reports also concluded that the intended purpose of the scheme was not always generally well understood by parents or schools and that the scope and purpose of the scheme should be clarified for schools. In developing both of these policy review papers my Department and the NCSE consulted widely with education partners and stakeholders, including parents of children with special educational needs.

Circular 0030/2014 sets out the policy of allocating SNA support for a newly enrolling Junior Infant who has clear and obvious need for such support e.g. a child who has a significant additional care need arising from an intellectual, sensory or physical disability.

For those children where it is not yet clear whether difficulties will manifest in a classroom environment, the Circular states that, in general, it is expected that all primary school pupils having their first school experience will have been enrolled and will have commenced attending school before any application for SNA support will be made. Particularly in relation to possible anticipated behavioural difficulties, it is more appropriate to wait until the child begins school in order to see how they have been able to engage in the classroom.

A range of guidelines have been provided for schools by my Department in relation to management measures for difficult behaviour.