Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cap in place for special needs assistants; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the NCSE will provide a SNA only in cases in which there is an assessed need; the number of SNAs required over the next five years to maintain the current level of support taking into account demographic increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18523/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Special Needs Assistant (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 scheme provides for the allocation of a quantum of SNA support to schools, taking into account the assessed care needs of individual children with disabilities, or severe medical needs. 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, which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.  

Responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools to support individual pupils rests with the NCSE. 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, as and when support is needed. Schools who wish to make applications for SNA support should apply to the NCSE.

There are 13,015 SNA posts available for allocation to schools to June 2017; this represents an increase of almost 23% or 2440 posts since 2011/12, when 10,575 posts were available. Last year alone I secured an increase of almost 1000 additional SNAs.

The Irish Government Economic & Evaluation Service (IGEES) published a Focused Policy Assessment (FPA) of Data on Special Needs Assistants in August 2016 which is available at: . This FPA forms part of my Department’s commitment to the Public Spending Code (PSC) and evidence informed policy making.

One of the objectives of the FPA was to identify what is required to develop the forecasting capacity of the Department and the NCSE in order to anticipate the level of demand and cost of future SNA requirements and that the provision of this data would be aligned with the planning needs of my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the NCSE with specific reference to the annual budgetary process.

Through analysing growth in metrics, such as the age profile of students accessing SNA supports, the growth in the numbers of students accessing SNAs as a proportion of the primary and post-primary education, and levels of enrolment in special classes, the FPA estimated that future demand of the number of additional SNAs likely to be required to 2019 will be in the order of between 1,300 and 5,400 posts, which is estimated to cost between €47m and €183m. The report noted, however, that this is an indicative estimate and that it is unrealistic to assume that the report can predict exactly the quantum of future student demand of SNAs. 

The extent of funding required to provide for SNA support in future years will, therefore, take into account the actual demand which transpires annually, while also taking into account the significant increases in SNA numbers already provided.

The FPA report recommended that the NCSE provide an End of Year Statement of Demand and a forecast of future demand in mid-April each year, with an updated forecast by mid-June to take account of trends arising during the current year’s application process.

The SNA demand for 2017/18 school year will not be known until the NCSE application process is complete. Demand over the next 5 years can not be accurately estimated until the NCSE provides its forecast of future demand for consideration in each of the next 5 years.  

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants and the budgetary allocation for SNAs over each of the past ten years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18524/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Funding for special education provision in 2017 will amount to some €1.68 billion, which is equivalent to approximately 19% of the gross overall current allocation for education and training and represents an increase in spending in this area of 12% over the last two years.

This year, 13,015 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are available for allocation to primary and post primary schools to the end of the 2016/17 school year, which is an increase of almost 23% in the number of posts available since 2011.

As committed to in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the adequacy of the present policies and provision and their scope for improvement is being examined.

At my request, the NCSE are currently undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme and I have specifically asked the NCSE to identify the most appropriate form of support options to provide better outcomes for students with Special Educational Needs, having regard to the significant amount of State investment in this area.

I can confirm that this Government will continue to ensure that the supports required, to ensure that all children with special educational needs can continue to participate in education, will be provided.

Details of the number of special needs assistants and the budgetary allocation for SNAs over each of the past ten years are given in the following table:

Budgetary allocation and Nos. of SNAs over the last 10 years

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of hiring ten additional special needs organisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18525/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body with particular functions including planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs.

SENO responsibility includes planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs. Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools, teachers, psychologists, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in that area for children with special educational needs.

The cost of appointing 10 additional SENOs would be in the region of €540,000 per annum.

A new Regional Support Service has been established within the National Council for Special Education was announced to assist schools in supporting children with special education needs. This service is operational from March 2017

The service includes the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for children who are deaf/hard of hearing and for children who are blind/visually impaired (VTHVI service).

Considerations with regard to the full staffing implications which may arise from the amalgamation of these bodies and the incorporation of the new Regional Support Service within the existing NCSE operational structures are ongoing and will be established during the course of the integration of the services.

Consideration regarding new recruitments and the filling of any vacancies will form part of this process. However, a fully comprehensive service will continue to be in place for the new school year.