Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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591. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline her plans to amend the relevant circular relating to compassionate leave for special needs assistants to ensure it includes the death of a brother or a sister-in-law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36327/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Circular 0032/2010 sets out the provisions regarding brief absences for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools. Special leave with pay is allowed to an SNA in the event of the bereavement of a family member as follows: 5 consecutive days in the case of a spouse, partner, child, or a person to whom the SNA is in loco parentis; and 3 consecutive days in the case of a parent, brother, sister, parent-in-law, step-parent, grandparent or a person who resides with the SNA in a relationship of domestic dependency.

These provisions were agreed by my Department in conjunction with the School Management Bodies and the relevant Trade Unions and have general application to all Special Needs Assistants.