Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following.

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 play a huge role in helping to ensure the inclusion of pupils with significant care needs in education and in school life

My department is very conscious of the need to ensure that SNA resources are allocated to support schools which have the greatest level of care need.

Care needs within schools can change over time due to for example a pupil with significant care needs leaving a primary school or moving to a special class. It is important that when these changes occur in a school’s care needs profile that the SNA role can be reallocated to a school with growing or developing care needs.

SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource and it is important that the school deploys its SNA resources in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school.

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.

Circular No 0035/2022 Special Needs Assistant Allocation 2022/23 which issued on 31^stMay 2022 outlined the following:

1. The SNA allocations for mainstream classes in schools on 31^stMay 2022 will be maintained for 2022/23.  This will provide greater certainty for schools.

2. A process for schools, whereby if they consider their SNA allocation is in excess of the required care needs, to engage with the NCSE. Schools should contact their local NCSE Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) to commence the process. 

3. The exceptional review process undertaken by NCSE will remain in place throughout the 2022/23 school year,  where schools can seek a review of their SNA allocations which will result in one of the following outcomes:

4. No change in the level of care need identified (and no change in the resultant SNA allocation);

5. Increase in the level of care need identified (which if significant would see an increase in the SNA allocations to the schools) ;

6. Decrease in level of care need identified in the school (which if significant would result in a reduction in SNA allocations as the care need could be managed with less resources than are currently allocated).

With regards to iii above it is crucial that if the NCSE identifies a significant reduction in the care needs in a school where SNA(s) support is no longer warranted that the SNA role can be re allocated to another school where the pupils have a greater level of care needs support.

The inclusion of iii above is not designed so as to deter schools from applying for a SNA exceptional review but outlines that as part of an exceptional review if over resourcing of care needs is identified that if it is significant that resource maybe reallocated to a school with greater need.

In line with previous years any school who believe that an exceptional situation has occurred where the care needs of pupils can no longer be met within existing resources should utilise the exceptional review process and should make contact with their local NCSE Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO).

The above aligns with the department guiding principle that care need resources must be focused on those students with the greatest need in our school system.