Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

268. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SNAs currently employed by her Department; the number of sanctioned SNA posts; the average full-year cost of employing these SNAs; and the average cost of each SNA to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24107/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to inform the Deputy that for the first time ever there will be 20,000 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) allocated to schools by the end of 2023.

This figure will include an additional 1,194 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in schools by December 2023. These additional posts will help support the care needs of children in primary, post-primary and specialist school settings, with 335 posts in mainstream classes, 735 in special classes and the remaining 124 in special schools. It should be noted that SNA allocations are adjusted throughout the year based on requests to the NCSE from schools where there is a change in the care needs profile of the school so as to provide children with additional supports.

As of 12th May, 2023, the allocated number of SNA posts allocated to schools is 19,481. During this period, 19,871 individual SNAs were paid on my Department's payroll. The reason for the higher difference of SNAs being paid is largely due to the fact that some posts are filled in a job-sharing capacity.

The annual cost, based on the figures of SNAs allocated to schools as of 12th May, is €779m.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SETs currently employed by her Department; the number of sanctioned SET posts; the average full-year cost of employing these SETs; the average cost of each SET to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24108/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.

For 2023, the spend by my Department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.

This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department's total allocation for 2023.

This includes additional teaching and care supports. It also includes funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) for an additional 54 psychologists to provide services to special schools and special classes.

In 2023 the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 special needs assistants in our schools next year.

For the first time ever we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 Special needs assistants. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.

All schools have an allocation of teaching support for pupils with special educational needs. The Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools and for schools to deploy resources based on each pupil's individual learning needs. SETs are employed at local level by the school board of management.

The school will take account of learning needs of children as evidenced by performance in schools but also supported where relevant by information provided regarding the nature of a condition that a pupil may have.

A process is available where schools can seek a review of their SET allocation by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), including the utilisation of their allocations. Detailed information on the NCSE review process is published on the NCSE website ncse.ie/special-education-teachers

My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.

There are currently 14,420 Special Education Teaching posts in mainstream classes and each post costs on average €72,598. Total costs are estimated at just over 1 billion.

Further teaching posts are provided in special classes and special schools.

My Department is committed to supporting schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.