John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

221. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a student (details supplied) in County Mayo has been refused a special needs assistant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38518/15]

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

I wish to advise the Deputy that 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.

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.

In general, as part of the application process for additional SNA support, schools are required to demonstrate that they have made every effort to manage their current allocation of SNA posts to best effect.

The NCSE has published details of SNA allocations for schools for September 2015 on its website at www.ncse.ie.

Once allocated, the deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

I understand that the pupil in question had been attending a school where SNA support is in place. The NCSE has advised my Department that it received an application for additional SNA support on 28 September from the school where the pupil is now enrolled.

The NCSE is currently considering this application and have advised that they will notify the school of its decision regarding the application for additional support as soon as possible.

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 the NCSE website.