Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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95. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his engagement with the Minister for Education concerning the provision of higher education training courses for special needs assistants. [6624/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I want to assure the Deputy that my Department is aware of the continuing need to provide appropriate training and development opportunities with a view to supporting the inclusion of students with additional care needs in education.

I believe the Deputy is aware of the current pilot national on-line training programme for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), a major educational initiative, which will enhance the knowledge, skills and expertise of SNAs who are crucial to the inclusion of students with additional care needs in education. This is a high-quality and innovative pilot training programme which will inform ongoing policy considerations relating to future training options for SNAs.

The 2018 Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme, available at ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/NCSE-Parental-Booklet-SNA-Review.pdf, published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) includes a recommendation for the provision of a national online training programme. Arising from this recommendation the Department of Education awarded a four-year contract to University College Dublin (UCD) School of Education to design and deliver a new national online training programme for SNAs employed in schools. The programme is fully funded by the Department of Education and delivered at no cost to the SNA.

UCD has advised the Department of Education that work has commenced to accredit the programme under UCD’s standard programme approval procedures as a Level 6 Special Purpose Award on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). UCD is also considering how previous graduates from the programme might have their award accredited retrospectively.

Approximately 1,300 SNAs have completed the course to date and it is intended that the programme will be delivered to up to 3,500 SNAs over the four year scheme. The Department of Education has advised they will review this pilot after the four year term is complete.