Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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201. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) to ensure the person is supported adequately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35858/16]

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), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating special educational needs supports to schools. The NCSE allocates support in accordance with the criteria set out by my Department.

The NCSE has informed my Department that the child referred to in this question has been granted the maximum level of Low Incidence Teaching Hours support. The child has also been granted access to Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support within the school.

Once allocations of resource teaching support and SNA are provided to a school it is a matter for the school to utilise these resources to support all of the qualifying pupils within their school.

Where a school wish to appeal the level of SNA or resource teaching allocation which has been made to their school, they may do so through the NCSE appeals process, details of which are set out at www.ncse.ieoption to invoke the appeals process is open to both the school and parents. I am informed that the NCSE has no record of an appeal having yet been received from the school in regard to the level of support allocated to the school.

In circumstances where a school or parent wishes to discuss the level of support which has been allocated to their school they should contact their local Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO).

All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. Contact details are also available on the NCSE website. The local SENO is also available to discuss any concerns that parents have about the present or future educational needs of their child.