Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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83. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of SENOs in CHO7; and if that number will be increased in light of the current extensive waiting lists for assessments. [27561/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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In Budget 2023, the government provided an additional €13 million for the expansion of services within the NCSE. This will mean an increase of up to 161 additional staff in the organisation, a workforce increase of 50%. As a result of the additional funding allocated to the NCSE, it is intended to increase the number of SENOs to 120, from the previously sanctioned 73, an increase of over 60%. They NCSE is progressively altering the current team structure, from a regional to a county basis with an assigned number of SENOs for each county.

The new localised structure, which will see SENOs being assigned on a county basis, will be fully operational at the start of the new school year in September. Recruitment is ongoing across a range of grades and there are now 88 SENOs in place nationally, more than ever before. The Community Healthcare Organisation 7 comprises the counties of Kildare, Wicklow and Dublin and the number of SENO’s available in those three counties currently stands at 28. A recruitment competition has just been completed for an additional 11 SENO who will be in place for the forthcoming academic year, bringing the total to 39.

When complete, this expansion of services will see the number of SENO grades increase to 120, who will be organised into 21 teams, reporting to two national coordinators.