Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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28. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of issues faced by a special school (details supplied) where students with high support needs who would have been allocated an SNA in mainstream schooling are not given equivalent support in their current school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44986/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Special needs assistants (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 an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised my department that the school referred to by the Deputy has recently made an application for additional SNA support. This review is being finalised and the outcome will be communicated to the school’s management team after midterm.

When a new special school is established, there is an automatic allocation of a minimum of one teacher and two SNAs per class of six children, however, this is invariably increased based on the profile of needs of the children enrolled. The NCSE review the staffing allocation of special schools yearly to ensure adequate resources remain available as new students enrol. This is important in the special school setting as the children enrolling often have unique needs to those who are leaving. As a result the SNA allocation for diverse special schools rarely remains the same year to year.

The NCSE realise that a school’s student profile can change over the course of the school year, indeed an individual’s circumstances may change substantially in the same period. This is particularly true within special schools where children with more complex needs are supported. It is therefore open to schools to apply to the NCSE for a review of its SNA allocation at any stage it feels its allocation is insufficient to meet the needs of its students. The NCSE manages this review process and handles each case individually.

The NCSE has streamlined the review process for this school year to ensure the process could be completed as quickly as possible and this has alleviated the administrative burden on schools when seeking a review of their SNA allocation.