Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SNAs currently employed. [26571/22]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost of employing one additional SNA. [26572/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together.

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.

Budget 2022 provides funding for an additional 1,165 SNAs (in 2022) to provide support to children with special educational needs, which will bring the total number of SNAs to 19,169 at the end of December 2022.This will represent an increase of 81% since 2011 at which time 10,575 were provided.

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. Information of the number of people employed to fill the posts allocated is not available.

The annual current cost at entry of an additional Special Needs Assistant is €30,001 including employer PRSI. SNA salary rates are contained in circular letter 0009/2022 and can be accessed gov.ie - Revision of Salaries for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) with effect from 1 February 2022 (www.gov.ie)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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95. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost of employing one additional special education teacher. [26573/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Budget 2022 provides for an additional 620 new SET posts in special education. This new investment is required to meet the needs of students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes; students to be enrolled in new special classes and new special school places and the needs of new and developing schools.

This will bring the total number of SET in the mainstream school system to 14,385 in 2022.

The estimated cost for the employment of a Special Education Teacher, on a full-time basis, would be €69,000 per annum based on the average salary cost of a Special Education Teacher.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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96. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special education teachers currently employed in primary, secondary and in special schools. [26574/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The level of Special Education resources provided to schools to support students with special education needs (SEN) is at unprecedented levels.

Special Education Teachers (SETs)

Budget 2022 provides for an additional 620 new SET posts in special education. This new investment is required to meet the needs of students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes; students to be enrolled in new special classes and new special school places and the needs of new and developing schools.

This will bring the total number of SET in the mainstream school system to 14,385 in 2022

Provision for 14,385 SET’s as at 31^stDecember 2022 will represent an increase of 48% since 2011 at which time 10,575 were provided.

The number of special education teachers working in primary and post primary schools at 31st March 2022 is as follows.

Special Class Teachers

Special Classes to support children with special educational needs.

Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased from 548 to 2,118 for the 2021/2022 school year.

There are now 1,854 special classes for children with Autism in place: 133 Early Intervention, 1,205 primary and 516 post primary autism special classes.

Budget 2022 provided for the creation of 287 additional special classes for the 2022/2023 school year. These additional classes will provide over 1,700 new places in 2022.

There are currently 2,457 teachers in Special Classes for the 2021/22 school year.

Special Schools Teachers

126 special schools currently providing specialist education for children with special educational needs.

Two new special schools in Cork and Dublin opened for the 2021/22 school-year.

Budget 2022 provided for an additional 23 teaching posts and 46 SNA posts in special schools which will create an additional 140 class places.

This will provide specialist education to over 8,000 pupils in 2022.

There are currently 1,507 teachers in Special Schools for the 2021/22 school year.

Special Schools Teachers.