Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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742. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if it will be ensured that a school (details supplied) receives additional SNA hours to supply the full level of supports that are necessary for all the students who require SNA assistance in the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63503/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and reviews. The NCSE have published the SNA allocations on their website www.ncse.ie. 

The SNA scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.  Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.

SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school.  SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school based on the principle that those with the greatest needs receive the greatest level of support. Guidance is available to schools on the allocation of SNA support within the schools,   SNA allocations for special classes and special schools are not affected by this arrangement.

Circular 0029/2021 has been published and advises schools of the arrangements for the allocation of SNAs for the 2021/22 school year. Furthermore, provisions set out in Circular 0030/2020 has been extended for the 2021/22 school year. Circulars 29/2021 and 30/2020 are available on the Gov.ie website: www.gov.ie/en/circulars/?organisation=department-of-education

With regards to the school as outlined in the details supplied, the NCSE confirmed that the school’s mainstream allocation included an increase of .75 of a post received on foot of an SNA Exceptional Review application made in the preceding 2020/21 school year. The NCSE have further confirmed no application for an SNA Exceptional Review has been received to date from the school for the current 2021/22 school year.

My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. Accordingly your correspondence has been forwarded to the NCSE for direct reply.