Written answers

Wednesday, 23 June 2021

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs

Photo of Donnchadh Ó LaoghaireDonnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of hiring an additional 100 SNAs. [33713/21]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2021 increased the number of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts to over 18,000 by December this year. This represents an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.

The pay at entry of a new entrant SNA, inclusive of employer PRSI, is €28,821 so the estimated cost of 100 SNAs would be €2,882,100.

Photo of Donnchadh Ó LaoghaireDonnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding currently allocated to SNA provision. [33727/21]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The state will invest approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget, in 2021 on making additional provision for children with special educational needs next year.  This represents an increase of over 50% in total expenditure since 2011, at which time €1.247 billion per annum was provided.  

The SNA scheme provides mainstream primary, post primary and special schools with additional adult support staff to assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs to attend school.

SNAs are recruited specifically to assist schools in providing the necessary non–teaching services to pupils with additional and significant care needs. The role of the SNA is to support the classroom teacher and special education teachers, and to assist in the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an educational context.

There are currently over 17,000 SNA posts allocated to primary, post primary and special schools. Budget 2021 provided an additional 990 Special Needs Assistants. There will be over 18,000 SNA posts by the end of 2021 which is an increase of 70% since 2011. 

For 2021 in excess of €601 million has been allocated to the payment of salaries to facilitate the provision of SNA support to primary, post primary and special schools.

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a review will be undertaken into the pilot of the school inclusion model including the in-school therapy demonstration project now that the 2020-2021 school year has ended; and when she expects such a review to be completed. [33735/21]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The School Inclusion Model (SIM) is based on policy advice from the National Council for Special Education based on the principle of providing the right support at the right time delivered by a range of personnel with relevant qualifications and skill-sets.  Its purpose is to help students achieve better outcomes. Independent evaluation is a central part of the project and the outcome will inform future policy on extending the SIM.  The project includes a number of elements:

- Provision of in-school therapies (speech and language, occupational)

- Allocation of SNAs on a frontloaded basis

- Additional professional supports for the school including psychology, behavioural and professional development

- Training of SNAs

In February 2019, the Government approved the trialling of the Model for the 2019/20 school year. Initially designed as a one year pilot involving up to 75 participating schools in the CHO 7 region, it was interrupted by Covid-19 with the closure of schools and the diversion of HSE therapists from the project to Covid related work. It was then extended to the 2020/21 school year which has also been interrupted by Covid. 

Progress has been made on aspects of the Model but much remains to be done in terms of in-school implementation and evaluation.  

As part of the 2021 Budget measures, funding is being made available to extend the School Inclusion Model to two other areas in 2021.

Planning is underway on the arrangements for the continuation and expansion of SIM and I expect to be in a position to make an announcement on the matter as soon as possible.

A demonstration project to provide in-school and preschool therapy services took place over the course of the 2018/19 school year.

The project was developed by the Departments of Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Health, and the Health Service Executive and managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education.

The purpose of the project was to test a model of tailored therapeutic supports by providing speech and language and occupational therapy within ‘educational settings’. This innovative pilot complemented existing HSE funded provision of essential therapy services. 

The project was evaluated over the course of the 2018/19 school year. This evaluation report has now been completed and is available at www.ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Demo-project-evaluation-fInal-for-web-upload.pdf

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