Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the circular on the allocation of special needs assistants for the coming school year will be published in order that each school will know which pupils with special needs they can enrol as they are waiting on the circular for clarification; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25720/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs).

SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.

It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

Circular 0049/2024 was published on the Departments website on 29th May and it confirmed for schools their SNA allocation for 2024/25. The circular is available at the following link:

This Circular outlines that in relation to the allocation of SNA support for students in mainstream classes for 2024/25 the following arrangements will apply:

a) The SNA allocations for mainstream classes in schools on 31st May 2024 will be the initial allocation for the 2024/2025 school year.

b) Where a school identifies a significant increase in care needs, additional resources can be provided to support the school, following a request for review by the school with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

c) A process for schools where they consider their SNA allocation to be in excess of the required care needs will be administered through the NCSE. Schools should contact their local NCSE special educational needs organiser (SENO) to commence this process.

Following the publication of the circular the NCSE undertook to inform each school individually of their SNA allocation for the 2024/25 school year.

When this process is complete the NCSE will update their website with the list of SNA allocations for the 2024/25 school year.