Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of additional SNAs hired since 27 June 2020, by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60297/22]

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

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. The NCSE have confirmed that since September 2020, there has been a net increase of 2338 posts.

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.

The information requested in relation to recruitment numbers at school level is not available as the filling of vacancies is a matter for the employer.

The NCSE publish statistics on SNA allocations to primary, post primary and special schools in tabular form, by county, for each school year, this information is available on their website, www.ncse.ie.