Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

562.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.[34522/24]

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

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 NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). As your query relates to supports for an individual student I have asked the NCSE to reply to your query directly.

SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into mainstream education, special classes and special schools ensuring that these students can access education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

SNAs are allocated 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 and they should be deployed in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled for whom SNA support has been allocated. This allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

Schools can apply to the NCSE for a review of its SNA allocation if it is insufficient to meet the needs of its students. Detailed information on the NCSE Exceptional Review process is published on the NCSE website.