Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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384. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SNAs employed in each primary and secondary school (details supplied) in County Meath in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47666/21]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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385. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of vacant SNA positions in each primary and secondary school (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47667/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 together.

The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels.

The Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs in 2021.

This represents an increase of over 50% in total expenditure since 2011, at which point €1.247 Billion per annum was provided.

Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional SNAs for allocation to schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by December 2021.

This allocation of SNAs is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2021 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support children in mainstream classes for the 2021/22 school year.

This will represent an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.

Where circumstances change during the course of the 2021/22 school year that materially increase the level of care need in a school to the extent that the school can clearly demonstrate that it cannot be met within the existing SNA allocation, the school may apply to the NCSE for a review. Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website, ncse.ie/for-schools.

The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.

The NCSE has published statistical information regarding SNA allocations for all schools which can be accessed on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie or by using the following link: ncse.ie/statistics.

When a school has been allocated an SNA, the Board of Management, as the employer, is responsible for filling the vacancy and the decision on whether to employ a full time SNA to fill a full time post or to employ an equivalent number of part time SNAs rests with the employer.

My Department acts as paymaster to over 3,700 schools whose Boards of Management are the direct employers of the SNAs in those schools. SNAs in the Education and Training Board sector are employed and paid by the ETBs.

The information requested in relation to vacancies at school level is not available as the filling of vacancies is a matter for the employer.