Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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236. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reconsider a school's (details supplied) application for resource hours for September as opposed to October in order that a person is not without special needs assistant support for over a month and can therefore begin school in September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8823/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. Where children have significant care needs whereby they may need additional support to be able to attend school, the NCSE may make an allocation of SNA support to the school to assist that child.

The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support, which is set out in Circular 0030/2014.

All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2016/17 school year by 29th February 2016. The NCSE continues to accept applications in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed. The NCSE will consider these applications and make further allocations to schools in respect of valid applications which have been received to September.

The NCSE will advise all schools of their allocations for SNA support for 2016/17 before the end of the current school year.

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 on www.ncse.ie.

Details of the manner in which a school, or parent, may appeal an SNA allocation decision is also available at www.ncse.ie

As the Deputy's question relates to the allocation of SNA support by the NCSE to an individual school, I have referred this question to the NCSE for their consideration and direct reply to the Deputy.