Written answers
Wednesday, 13 July 2022
Department of Education and Skills
Special Educational Needs
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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316. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of employing an additional 100 SNAs; the projected number of additional SNAs to be employed in 2023/2024 due to demographic pressures; the current number of SNAs at the end of 2022/2023 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38475/22]
Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the questions raised and would advise the following:
The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (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.
Work is ongoing in relation to finalising the budgetary projections for 2023/24 for SET.
The estimated cost for the employment of 100 additional SNA’s, on a full-time basis, would be just in excess of €3.0M per annum which is based on 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)
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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317. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of employing an additional 100 resource teachers; the current number employed; the projected number of additional resource teachers to be employed in 2023/2024 due to demographic pressures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38476/22]
Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the questions raised and would advise the following:
Budget 2022 provides for an additional 620 new Special Education Teacher (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 December 2022.
Work is ongoing in relation to finalising the budgetary projections for 2023/24 for SET.
The estimated cost for the employment of 100 Special Education Teacher, on a full-time basis, would be €6.9M per annum which is based on the average salary cost of a Special Education Teacher of €69,000.
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