Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

251. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he will allow the filling of the remainder of a school's (details supplied) allocation of special needs assistants in view of the fact that while the school has been allocated 18 special needs assistants only 14 are currently working at the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18010/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The school referred to by the Deputy is one of 13 new schools for ASD and Complex Needs that are currently being supported by my Department under a transitional agreement.

This includes regular engagement between the schools Patron Bodies and my officials through a Consultative Group forum. Officials in my Department are in contact with the school referred to by the Deputy and I understand the school has recently appointed 2 additional SNAs. A decision in respect of the appropriate levels of SNA supports in each of the 13 schools for the forthcoming school year will be taken following a review by the NCSE of existing staffing and of students needs in the schools.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates SNA support to schools, in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014, in order that students who have special educational needs and additional care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed. 

The purpose of the SNA scheme is to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.

The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can 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 those 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 their independent living skills.  SNA support is allocated to schools to support pupils based on their assessed care needs, as opposed to being allocated on the basis of a particular disability diagnosis.

SNA allocations are accordingly not made to individual children, but are made to schools to support the care needs of children with assessed special educational needs in the school.

The consideration of professional reports is an integral part of determining the extent of supports to be provided for pupils with special educational needs.  In making allocations to schools, the NCSE takes into account the assessed individual needs of all children with identified needs in the school.