Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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442. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure a person (details supplied) receives the necessary full-time special needs assistant support, as outlined by an occupational therapist, when the person starts school. [4777/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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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. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.

Circular 0030/2014 sets out the role of medical/ other professional reports and recommendations by medical/ other professionals in the context of consideration of applications for SNA support by the NCSE. The Circular explains that, while professional reports provide valuable assistance to education providers in identifying a diagnosis or identifying appropriate interventions, responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools to support pupils with special educational needs resides with the NCSE through the SENO.

All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2016/17 school year by 29th February 2016. SENOs will continue to process applications for access to SNA support which are received after this deadline. Such applications will be processed in the order in which the applications have been received.

It should be noted that SNA allocations are not made to individual children, but are made to schools to support the care needs of children with assessed special educational needs.

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.

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, is set out on the NCSE website.

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.

As the matter referred to in this question relates to an allocation for an individual child, I will arrange to have the matter referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.