Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide additional hours to a person (details supplied) under the special needs assistance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16665/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) support to mainstream Primary, Post Primary and Special Schools, to assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. The NCSE makes such allocations in accordance with my Departments criteria for the scheme.

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 Circular explains that SNA support is not provided to pre-school services which operate outside of the primary or special school provision, other than in early intervention classes in recognised primary schools, or special schools, where support is provided for as part of the schools total quantum of SNA support.

The vast majority of supports for childcare, including pre-school education, are 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.

Children with disabilities will now have better access to pre-school services under a new Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) programme of supports, which was recently announced, on 15th June 2016, by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, depending on the needs of the child and the pre-school. The supports include: A new Inclusion Charter for the Early Years sector, alongside updated and strengthened Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Guidelines for Early Childhood Care and Education. A new higher education programme for early years practitioners (LINC) which will commence from September 2016. A new national specialist service which is based in the Better Start National Early Years Quality Development Service will provide expert advice, mentoring and support to pre-school providers from a team of 50 specialists in early years care and education for children with disabilities. A new national scheme will provide specialised equipment, appliances and minor alterations which are necessary to support a child's participation in the ECCE programme. A new national scheme will also provide additional capitation to pre-school providers where this is critical to fund extra support in the classroom and enable a child's participation in pre-school. It is estimated that only 1 to 1.5% of children in pre-school will require, and therefore be eligible for, this scheme of additional capitation. Details of the supports which will be available under AIM can be found at www.preschoolaccess.iewhich contains comprehensive information on the access and inclusion model and on how to apply for the new schemes and supports.

Questions relating to provision of such services in pre school settings should be addressed my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.