Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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451. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to a request by a school (details supplied) for an exceptional review of its SNA hours with the National Council for Special Education, given that its SNA allocation is not sufficient to provide SNA supports to a student in second class; the steps that are being taken to address the SNA needs of this child in the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16635/22]

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 SNAs and reviews.

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.

In light of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the introduction of the new Frontloaded Allocation Model for SNAs for students in mainstream classes in primary and post -primary schools is to be deferred for a further year to the beginning of the 2022/23 school year.

In order to minimise disruption for schools, in the current circumstances, and to provide for continuity of allocations the following arrangements for the allocation of Special Needs Assistants for mainstream classes for the 2021/22 school year:

Existing mainstream class SNA allocations in schools on 30 April 2021 will be maintained and will automatically rollover into the 2021/22 school year;

No school will therefore receive an allocation less than that which they had on 30 April 2021;

SNAs currently in mainstream settings can continue in post for the next school year in the normal way;

Priority consideration will now be given by the NCSE to applications for increased support for the 2021/22 school year, in particular, applications from schools with no SNAs and developing schools will be prioritised. Determinations will be made before 30 June. Other applications will be processed in order of date received; and

As in previous years, 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 have published the SNA allocations on their website www.ncse.ie.

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.

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

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

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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452. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will assist in providing transport to a child (details supplied) who has been assigned a place in a special educational school but cannot attend as the family does not have access to suitable transport. [16673/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.

The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to my Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs.

Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).

The child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs.

In November 2021 a new service was sanctioned to cater for the child referred to by the Deputy and 3 others with an escort on board.

In cases where services are not suitable to cater for a child’s needs, a parent/guardian can make a request to the school transport section of my Department outlining the child’s requirements along with supporting documentation. In certain cases a special transport grant may be offered, and where it is not possible for the family to avail of the grant, a new service may be established.

An application for an individual service has not been received to date by the school transport section of my Department.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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453. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way the provision for Ukrainian pupils with care needs requiring SNA support will be provided; if schools are to apply through the exceptional review process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16721/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In line with advice from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and best international practice, children and young people arriving from Ukraine into Ireland, including those with special educational needs, need to be placed as soon as possible in a school setting and given the opportunity to settle in, adapt and adjust to their new environment, new home, new school, and to be given access to practical supports and assistance to settle in and make friends.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.

My Department is working to ensure that the NCSE is available to support schools who have Ukrainian children with additional or special needs. In addition local Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) will be available to support individual families in accessing education and related supports for their children with special education needs. In this regard the SENOs will link with other relevant state agencies including Education Welfare Services and the HSE.

Where circumstances change during the course of the 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 of its allocation. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations and the school should liaise with the NCSE directly in the event that additional SNA support is required.

For those children with the most complex need (for example with a history of specialist placement) consideration may be given to placement in a special school or special class. However, the same overarching principle of ‘Placement for Identification of Need’ will apply and a flexible approach to placement in the longer term is advised.