John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an increased number of special needs assistants will be approved for a school (details supplied) to support the current extra needs of students and the new students enrolled; if the various needs of the students requiring supports will be examined in view of the fact extra training will be required to support their needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12867/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The allocation and coordination of SNA support for schools are the responsibility of the NCSE and my Department has no role in making individual determinations.

Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21.  The arrangements include the following provisions:

- 2019/20 mainstream class SNA allocations will be frozen, from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020, and will automatically rollover into the 2020/21 school year. This means that no school will receive an allocation less than that which they have on the date of issue of this Circular and existing SNAs currently in standard SNA posts can continue in these posts for the next school year in the normal way.

- Schools may apply to the NCSE for additionality where they can demonstrate that the current allocation does not meet additional care needs within the mainstream classes in the school. Applications for additionality arising from significant new or emerging additional care needs, which cannot be catered within existing allocations, will be dealt with by way of an exceptional review process.

- A diagnosis of a disability, or a psychological or other professional report, will not be necessary  for this process.  

- The role of the SNA to support the care needs of students in mainstream classes, as set out in Circular 0030/2014, remains unchanged.

It is expected that schools will review and reprioritise the deployment of SNAs within mainstream settings and allocate resources to ensure those with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support. Providing access to SNA support continues to be based on primary care needs as outlined in DES Circular 0030/2014.

Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.

The NCSE will endeavour to respond to all applications for exceptional review received prior to 22nd May 2020 by 30th June 2020 and in that regard, it will prioritise applications from schools with no current SNA allocation and developing schools.

Applications for an Exceptional Review received after 22 May 2020 will continue to be processed once all other applications have been completed.

The exceptional review process for mainstream allocations will be available to schools throughout the 2020/21 school year.

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are employed by the managerial authorities of individual schools or by Education and Training Boards (ETBs).  The Board of Management is the SNA's employer and the recruitment and deployment of SNAs within schools are matters for the individual Principal/Board of Management, subject to Departmental guidelines.

When appointing an SNA, it is a matter for the Board of Management to ensure that SNAs are in a position to effectively meet the care needs of the pupil(s) for whom SNA support has been allocated in the school.  Where additional training is required in order to carry out the assigned duties, the school authorities should arrange for the appropriate training to be provided to enable SNAs attend to the pupil’s care needs.

Where specific training is required, the Board of Management should liaise with the Health Service Executive (HSE) in order to ensure that the HSE provides guidance and training that enables the SNA to meet the care needs of the pupil in an appropriate manner.  It is a matter for individual school authorities to make such arrangements locally.