Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if matters raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; if the issues outlined will be addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13105/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.

Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.

In order to minimise disruption for schools, due to the Covid pandemic and to provide for continuity of allocations, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Special Education and Inclusion agreed to maintain the existing Special Education Teacher Allocations for schools for the 2021/22 school year, with re profiled allocations now due to be made from September 2022.

Both the Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which their school profiles have been calculated.

Accordingly, a number of review processes have been put in place to support schools.

A process is in place to address circumstances where the school profile significantly changed following the allocation process e.g. a developing school where the net enrolment numbers significantly increased.

The criteria for qualification for mainstream school developing school posts are set out in the Primary and Post Primary School Staffing Schedule for the 2021/22 school year.

Schools who qualify for additional mainstream developing school posts in accordance with these criteria also qualify for additional Special Education Teaching Allocations to take account of this developing status.

It is also acknowledged that there are some circumstances, which may arise in schools, which fall outside the allocations for developing school status.

These relate to exceptional or emergency circumstances which could not have been anticipated e.g. where the school profile changes very significantly, or where other exceptional circumstances have arisen in a school and which may require a review of schools capacity to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who need it in the school, or of their utilisation of their allocations.

A process is available where schools can seek a review of their allocations by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile.

Working is ongoing on the re-profiling for 2022/2023 school year and this will be concluded shortly.

Special Needs Assistants

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 Special Needs Assistant (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 for whom SNA support has been allocated.

It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

Schools were notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for the current school year. The arrangements include the following provisions:

- 2019/20 mainstream class SNA allocations were frozen, from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020, and have automatically rolled over into the current 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 were allowed to continue in these posts for the current school year in the normal way.

- A diagnosis of a disability, or a psychological or other professional report, is 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.

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, are dealt with by way of the exceptional review process.

The exceptional review process for mainstream allocations is available to schools throughout the current school year.

The arrangements for the allocation of SNAs for mainstream classes for the 2022/23 school year are currently under review. An announcement on the matter will be made as soon as possible.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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357. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the allocation of the approximately 1,100 additional special needs assistants allocated in the current school year by county in tabular form; and if a further breakdown will be provided by postal district for the Dublin area. [13112/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that this is a matter for the NCSE and your query has been forwarded to it for direct reply.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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358. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the specific procedures entailed in the appeal process in respect of special needs assistant exceptional review applications for this scheme; if that entails direct communication with the school concerned; if there is additional information requested and the criteria which determine decisions in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13113/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the appeal process in relation to Special Needs Assistants is a matter for the NCSE and your correspondence has been forwarded to them for direct reply.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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359. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports in place to assist persons with disabilities transition from second-level education to third-level education or employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13129/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Supporting the transition of young people with a disability right through the education system with a particular focus on enabling young people to make informed life choices is a priority for me.

We are working with colleagues across a number of Departments to ensure that this remains a focus of the Third Action Plan under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities which will cover the period 2022 to 2024. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is leading out on the work in this regard.

To support young people and their parents in navigating the various transition stages in and from education, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has published transition guidelines between all stages of education that are designed to assist successful transitions. A number of resources are also available to support schools in planning for effective transitions.

Additional guidelines providing information on post-school education and training options for people with disabilities provide students and their families with valuable information on the extensive range of post-school options and supports available and guidance to inform individual choice.

These guidelines and resources are available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.

My Department has also recently established a cross-government National Policy Group on Guidance to develop a coherent long-term strategy for lifelong career guidance as recommended in the report of the Indecon Review of Career Guidance. The National Policy Group is chaired by the Department of Education and also includes the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.