John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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226. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 85 of 17 January 2019 and circular 0058/2006 from his Department, if clarification will be provided regarding the area in which SNA employment contracts state that their employment is with a specific school and names the school; if redundancy payments will issue as a result of such contracts to SNAs when their employment at the school ceases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4112/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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There are supplementary panel arrangements in place to facilitate SNAs made redundant by one employer in filling SNA vacancies that may become available in another school / ETB. These arrangements were agreed between management and staff side representative bodies and are subject to annual reviews by these parties. The current SNA supplementary assignment panel arrangements for the 2018/19 school year are contained in Circular 34/2018 which can be accessed through the following link:

Every eligible SNA remains on the panel for two years with a view to getting further employment. If they are not successful over that period of time in obtaining a further SNA position then they will be eligible for a redundancy payment in line with the terms set out in the SNA redundancy scheme (Circular 58/06). An SNA may choose to take the redundancy immediately or remain on the panel for up to two years. The SNA is entitled to trigger the redundancy payment anytime during the two years.

Circular 34/2018 notes that where an SNA is employed by a recognised Primary, Secondary or Community and Comprehensive School, then the SNA should be formally notified of the redundancy by the employer and relevant paperwork completed by the school management and the SNA, and forwarded onto the Department's Redundancy Unit. However, the circular also notes that in circumstances where an SNA is employed by an ETB, the provisions which currently exist to re-assign within the ETB should be completed prior to the issuing of any redundancy notification. Redundancy payments are managed directly by the ETBs.