Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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459. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status regarding the provision of a special needs assistant for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4969/16]

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 mainstream Primary and Post Primary schools and to Special Schools to assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.

Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of these pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing the independent living skills of children with special educational needs.

The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website www.education.ie, sets out my Department's policy in relation to the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme.

The NCSE recently asked all schools to submit applications for SNA support for the 2016/17 school year, including for new pupils who will be enrolling to schools in September, by 29th February, 2016.

The NCSE will also 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.

Having considered he applications received, the NCSE will advise all schools of their SNA allocations in advance of the coming school year.

All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs. 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.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that Circular 0030/2014 explains that SNA support is not provided to pre-school services which operate outside of the primary or special school provision.

I can advise, however, that the vast majority of supports for childcare, including pre-school education, is provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The principal vehicle for the delivery of pre-school education is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which was introduced in January 2010 and provides for early learning in a formal setting to children in the year before they commence primary school.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) currently provides for care support for pupils with special needs attending a range of HSE funded pre-schools. As such, questions relating to provision of such services should be addressed to the HSE, or to my colleague, the Minister for Health.