John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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491. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the protections there will be for SNAs when schools reopen; if there will be specific training provided to same; if SNAs will be required to stay within the pod; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21226/20]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Roadmap for the Full Return to School published in July and significant funding was provided to schools along with a range of supports and guidance to enable schools to plan for their reopening.

Extensive guidance on procedures for the reopening of schools is provided on the back to school website which can be assessed at www.gov.ie/backtoschool

The guidance for schools will be updated as required and the Department will continue to work with the health authorities and implement as appropriate any changes necessary to support school reopening in line with any changes to public health advice to manage the spread of COVID-19.

Education staff move routinely between schools in the context of substitute teachers, shared special education teachers and SNAs, and it is not possible to eliminate this movement entirely.

Schools have been provided with additional funding to purchase PPE and SNAs whose work requires them to be in close contact with children should be prioritised for provision of PPE.

It is important that a staff member shared across class bubbles within a school should take particular care to maintain physical distancing and proper hand and respiratory hygiene in moving throughout the school.

In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, it is the responsibility of school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. Schools are obliged to identify possible hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and put appropriate safeguards in place.

The Department is supporting schools implement these protocols by providing:

- Induction and tailored training programmes for school staff produced by the Department

- Webinars on health and safety, returning to work safely, managing school return and wellbeing.

- An enhanced Minor Works Grant to support full implementation of COVID-19 response plans

- Additional financial supports to provide for additional cleaning, hand hygiene and PPE costs under the COVID-19 response plans.

As part of the Back to School measures, a specific training segment for SNAs has been provided and is available on .

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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492. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to introduce a panel or central database of substitute SNAs which schools can avail of to replace SNAs that are off work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21227/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As outlined in Circulars 15/05 and 12/05 Appendix 1. Special Needs Assistants are recruited specifically to assist schools in providing the necessary non–teaching services to pupils with assessed educational needs.

All standard SNA vacancies and cover SNA vacancies of 24 weeks or more must be advertised. If the vacancy is less than 24 weeks then there is no requirement for the school to advertises and they can appoint a replacement if warranted and subject to the current minimum educational requirements for appointment as a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) as set out in Department's circular 36/2020 and 51/2019 and in compliance with the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 in accordance to the relevant Department’s circulars in relation to Garda vetting.

When advertising for vacancies the school can create an internal panel of suitable applicants from which future vacancies including cover SNA vacancies may be filled valid for the duration of the school year. There are no plans to introduce a panel or central database of substitute SNAs to replace SNAs that are off work.