Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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206. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused a SNA for the 2018-19 academic school year. [30046/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. 

The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.  

In considering applications for SNA support for individual pupils, the NCSE take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources.

SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.

SNA allocations to all schools can change from year to year as children with care needs leave the school, as new children with care needs enrol in a school and as children develop more independent living skills and their care needs diminish over time.

My Department’s policy is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support. In line with this policy, I announced in May 2018 that 800 additional SNAs will be allocated for the beginning of the next school year, with a further 140 expected to be allocated by the end of the year.

By the end of this year, there will be a total of 15,000 Special Needs Assistants working in our schools, a 42% increase on 2011.

The NCSE have advised that they have been in contact with the school regarding an appeal.

As this question relates to a particular child, I have referred the question to the NCSE for their direct reply.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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207. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) will receive the July provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30058/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Purpose of July Provision Programme Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards an extended school year for children with a severe or profound general learning disability or children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Where eligible students cannot be accommodated in a school based programme, funding may be provided towards the provision of 40 hours home based tuition. As home based tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that the educational programme provided generally reflects that which would be provided in a school environment.

It is appropriate therefore that the qualification standard for home based tuition generally reflects that required in a school environment. Accordingly, it is a condition of the scheme that parents/guardians must recruit a tutor who is qualified in the relevant sector, and is registered with the Teaching Council, similar to the requirement for teachers in schools. 

Where all efforts have failed to secure the services of a teacher qualified to teach in the sector concerned, the Department may consider the engagement of a person who is registered with the Teaching Council and has a primary degree (minimum Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in a relevant area.

It is also a requirement of the scheme that all tutors must be vetted prior to commencing the delivery of tuition. Parents are required to satisfy themselves that tutors have been vetted by the Teaching Council of Ireland 2016 via the Teaching Council’s online vetting process.

The terms and conditions of the July Provision Grant Scheme 2018 is set out in the Department's Information Note on the scheme which was published with the application forms on 11 April 2018 and is available on my Departments website at www.education.ie.

Parents engage tutors for the provision of home based tuition in a private arrangement. It is the responsibility of the parent to source a tutor at the earliest possible opportunity to allow for applications for registration/vetting to be made by the tutor to the Teaching Council, if necessary. 

The application for the July Provision Grant referred to by the Deputy cannot be approved until the Parent sources a tutor that is registered and vetted by the Teaching Council of Ireland.