Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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313. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to allow special needs assistants to take unpaid leave for the purpose of undertaking teaching practice when retraining as a primary or secondary school teacher. [54254/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Special Needs Assistants are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with disabilities, who have additional and significant care needs, in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream school to assist school authorities in making suitable provision for a pupil or pupils with special care needs. The first priority is that the care needs of the pupils are met on an ongoing basis during the school year.

In June 2012, my Department, in conjunction with the School Management Bodies and the relevant Trade Unions, agreed a Career Break Scheme for Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools, the provisions for which are contained in Circular Letter 22/2012 which is available on my Department’s website.

Paragraph 1.2 of the Circular states:

“ The main objectives of this scheme which are not exhaustive, is for employers, wherever possible to facilitate applicants in the areas of:

- Personal Development

- Education (including teacher training)

- Public Representation

- Childcare/Dependent care

- Self-employment”

The Career Break Scheme therefore is applicable to Special Needs Assistants who wish to pursue courses such as teacher training where participants are required to spend significant periods of time on school observation/teaching practice during the school year.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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314. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to allow special needs assistants who are qualified as primary school teachers to work as full-time learning support teachers in post-primary schools with benefits and leave. [54255/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).

The policy of my Department is that, as far as possible, schools should appoint people to teach who are registered with the Teaching Council and have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are employed.

The Teaching Council is the statutory body for the registration of teachers including the recognition of teaching qualifications.