Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Photo of Billy KelleherBilly Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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187. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to allocate a special needs assistant to a person (details supplied). [11669/16]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Recent years have seen an increase in the number of SNAs from 10,575 posts in 2011 to 12,040 to June 2016. In the same period the number of children accessing SNA support has grown from approximately 22,000 to some 30,000 by the end of 2015.

The increase in SNA numbers has been supported by a very significant increase in the Budget for SNAs, rising from €332 million in 2011 to €402 million by the end of 2015.

This is a higher level of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support than ever before, which will ensure that children with special educational needs can continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner appropriate to their needs.

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 my Department's Circular 0030/2014.

All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2016/17 school year by 29th February 2016. The NCSE will consider all applications for SNA support which have been made by schools. 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 also 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.

Schools will be advised of their revised SNA allocations for the 2016/17 school year, prior to the end of the current school year.

All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available onwww.ncse.ie.

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

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