Written answers
Friday, 6 September 2019
Department of Education and Skills
Special Educational Needs Staff Data
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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303. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SNAs employed for the 2018/2019 school year; and the projected number of SNAs to be employed for the 2019/2020 school year. [35225/19]
Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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At the end of the 2018/19 school year there were approximately 15,030 SNA posts allocated to schools. I announced on 27thMay that 792 additional SNA posts will be allocated to schools for the beginning of the 2019/20 school year, with almost 130 additional posts expected to be allocated by December 2019.
By the end of this year, there will be up to 15,950 SNAs working in our schools, an increase of over 51% since 2011.
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 my 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.
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.
The NCSE publish statistics on SNA allocations for each school year and this information is available on their website, www.ncse.ie.
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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304. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of the approximately 950 increased additional special needs assistants, SNAs, announced in budget 2019 that were employed for the period of 2018/2019. [35226/19]
Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Approximately 30 posts were allocated from the Budget 2019 provision for January to June of the 2018/19 school year. I announced on 27thMay that 792 additional SNA posts will be allocated to schools for the beginning of the 2019/20 school year, with almost 130 additional posts expected to be allocated by December 2019.
By the end of this year, there will be up to 15,950 SNAs working in our schools, an increase of over 51% since 2011.
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 my 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.
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.
The NCSE publish statistics on SNA allocations for each school year and this information is available on their website, www.ncse.ie.
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