Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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173. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a special needs assistant will be assigned to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18635/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The SNA scheme provides recognised schools with additional adult support staff to cater for the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an educational context, where the nature of these care needs have been outlined in professional reports as being so significant that a pupil will require adult assistance in order to be able to attend school and to participate in education 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. 

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including SNA support. 

Responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools to support individual pupils rests with the NCSE.  In making allocations to schools, the NCSE takes into account the assessed care needs of all children with identified needs in the school.  It should 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 in the school.  The NCSE has published an Information booklet for parents in relation to the SNA scheme on its website:  www.ncse.ie.

It is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school to allocate SNA support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilized in the school.  SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. 

The NCSE has informed my Department that the SENO has considered the level of SNA support available to the school and has informed the school that the pupil in question can be supported from within the school's current allocation of SNA support.

The level of SNA support allocated to all schools can change from year to year, as students with care needs leave the school, as new students with care needs enrol, or as students develop more independent living skills as they get older and their care needs diminish over time.  In this regard the SENO will carry out a further review of SNA provision in this school and process the applications received for two new pupils in time for 2017/2018 school year. 

Where a school wishes to appeal the level of SNA support which has been made to their school, they may do so via the appeal process which is available at: www.ncse.ie.

A major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers was included on the 6 year Construction Programme (2019-21).  Officials in my Department are working closely with officials from Kerry County Council under the memorandum of understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable permanent location for the school.

My Department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places, in this regard, my Department is currently reviewing the demographic demand in the area serviced by the school.  This review will inform on the appropriate level of accommodation to be provided for the proposed building project.