Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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197. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional supports will be put in place for special needs assistants in schools to ensure that they either are not forced to sign on for social welfare during summer months and are paid year-round, or that their social welfare payments are more streamlined to ensure that there is no break in income between the end of the school year and the start of summer. [23469/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Boards of Management of schools are the direct employers of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). My Department provides Paymaster support to schools. The salary scale applicable to SNAs is determined by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The current salary scales for SNAs are set out in DE Circular 0034/2024.

SNAs are usually contracted to work for a school year which begins on 1st September and finishes the following 31st August. As such, SNAs are paid on the basis of an annual salary scale.

An SNA would not be paid for the summer holiday period if they started any time after the first day after Christmas break and there is no indication that the SNA is returning to the same school on 1st September. The guidance on this is set out in Circular 0111/2007.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 201 together.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.

Seven new special schools have been established in recent years. In addition, four new special schools will be established for the 2024/25 school year in counties Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick, bringing the total number of NCSE supported special schools nationwide to 124.

The attached document provides the details of the patronage of these special schools,

Many special schools have diversified from their original designation to enrol students with more complex needs in their areas. Therefore special school staffing allocations are reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE based on student profiles and the disability category of each student. As a result the teacher allocation to each school is dependant on the needs of its students.

My department publish Indicator statistics annually in relation to the number of teachers and students enrolled in special schools and special classes. This Indicators report is available on gov.ie.

My department recognises that special schools face unique challenges and is committed to ensuring these schools are adequately resourced and supported. This coming school year will see the extension of deputy principal posts for all special schools and an additional 100 post-primary teaching posts which will greatly benefit these schools.

My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

It is important to remember that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers where supports such as special education teachers and special needs assistants are made available. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.

The number of students enrolled in special classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools is reported annually by my department through the Indicators report which is available on gov.ie

The table below outlines these details.

Figures for 2023 will be published in the Indicators report when available.

My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.