Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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231. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will examine delays in implementing the new model of front-loading SNA support which was announced back in 2020; the reason it has not been implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7742/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.

Special needs assistants (SNAs) play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into schools. They help ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

SNAs are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the children enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

If a schools feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students an application can be submitted to the NCSE requesting a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's . Each case is individually assessed and is based on the student profile of each school.

The Special Education Teaching (SET) Allocation Model introduced in 2017 was intended to form the basis of an SNA front loading model, however this has not been possible. The data which informs how learning needs can be met through the SET Allocation Model is not suitable to indicate the care needs of children in a school, using it would lead to SNA resources being incorrectly deployed.

In the last two years, the NCSE has been working with schools to address additional care needs that arise by means of the exceptional review process. This process involves detailed analysis of the care needs in individual schools and ensures that the correct resources are applied to children who need them. At present, this process is the best approach to assist schools in supporting vital care needs.

Work will continue until a successful model is ready to introduce. Further work is being undertaken as highlighted above in tandem with the review of SET, which will support our thinking as how best SNA resources can also be managed. It is important that any allocation process is based on care needs rather than educational ability. My department is fully committed to establishing an SNA model of allocation that is fully cognisant of matching SNA resources with the care needs of those children who require this support.

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.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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232. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a new toolkit for the deployment of special needs assistants is being implemented; the details of same; the way in which this will impact on the supports available to children at school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8661/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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245. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the toolkit for deployment of SNA support (details supplied) amounts to a shift of responsibilities from SNAs to teachers; her views on whether this will place undue burden on teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8871/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 232 and 245 together.

As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.

SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into schools. They help ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

SNAs are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the children enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

The NCSE will publish the SNA allocations for the 2025/26 school year in quarter two later this year.

If a schools feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students an application can be submitted to the NCSE requesting a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website (ncse.ie/sna-review-mainstream). Each case is individually assessed and is based on the student profile of each school.

Following the outcome of the review, the NCSE can make a local special educational needs officer (SENO) available to the school to discuss their current deployment of SNA supports in the school and to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. NCSE in-school support is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.

The NCSE also provide a toolkit for schools to assist in the review, reprioritisation and redeployment of SNA support. The toolkit is available on the NCSE's website (ncse.ie/specialneeds-assistants).

The Department's policy in relation to the SNA scheme is set out in Circular 0030/2014. This Circular clarifies the purpose of the SNA scheme i.e. to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.

The care needs must be of such significance that they are beyond that which would normally be expected to be provided to a child by the child’s class teacher, support teacher, or other school teachers, or beyond the level of assistance which could be offered to the student by his/ or her fellow students in school.

The circular provides details of the primary care needs for which SNA support will usually be provided and details the types of secondary associated tasks which SNAs may often perform, but which would not in themselves constitute a reason for the allocation of SNA support.

The circular confirms that the class teacher has primary responsibility for the progress and care of all students in his/her classroom, including students with special educational needs.

The circular is available on . There are no plans to change the criteria for support.

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.