Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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951. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding and resources available for schools to assist children with epilepsy. [21122/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.  

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is a statutory body and its functions include planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs in conjunction with schools and the Health Service Executive (HSE).  The NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports as required.  The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support.

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.

Circular 0030/2014 provides details of the primary care needs for which SNA support will usually be provided and sets out the types of secondary care associated tasks which SNAs may often perform, but only once they have been allocated on the basis of a requirement to provide for primary care needs.

The care needs must be of such significance that they are beyond that which would normally be expected to be provided to a child by the child’s class teacher, support teacher, or other school teachers. SNAs are recruited specifically to assist in the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an educational context.

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. 

Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the students in their school and care and safety should be at the centre of all policy and practices. Schools are required to take all reasonable precautions and to provide training for teachers to ensure the safety and welfare of their pupils.

It is a matter for the Board of Management to ensure that SNAs are in a position to effectively meet the care needs of students for whom SNA support has been allocated in the school.  Where specific training is required, the Board of Management should liaise with the Health Service Executive (HSE) in order to ensure that the HSE provides guidance and training that enables the SNA to meet the care needs of the pupil in an appropriate manner. It is a matter for individual school authorities to make such arrangements locally.

The availability and provision of health-related supports, including therapy services, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive, and matters in relation to the provision of health-related services should be directed to that body or to the Department of Health.

Nursing support for children with complex needs in school is provided directly by the HSE or through a HSE funded provider. Where a school has identified children with complex needs who require nursing support, the school should contact the HSE.

“Managing Chronic Health Conditions at School - a resource pack for teachers and parents” was produced jointly by the Diabetes Ireland, the Asthma Society of Ireland, Brainwave the Irish Epilepsy Association and Anaphylaxis Ireland to help teachers and parents to work together and provide a safe and enjoyable school environment for students with any one of these conditions. The resource pack is available at the following link:

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I trust this information is of assistance to you.