Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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305. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that have appealed their SNA allocation for 2019/2020 by county in tabular form. [35227/19]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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307. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that have appealed their SNA allocation for 2019/2020 by county in tabular form. [35229/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 305 and 307 together.

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 is also responsible for managing the appeals process.

As the matter to which the Deputy refers is a matter for the NCSE, I have referred the question to the agency for their direct reply.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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306. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SNA hours applied for and or sought by each county for the 2019/2020 school term in tabular form. [35228/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, 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 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 the allocations for individual schools for each school year and this information is available on their website, www.ncse.ie.