Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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748. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the level of mandatory training within the national training programme for SNAs on managing children living with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12514/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for their question.

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into schools. The role and duties of the SNA are set out in Circular 0030/2014.

The national training programme for SNAs is fully funded by the Department of Education and is open to SNAs employed in all recognised schools (primary, post-primary and special schools) free of charge.

First made available to SNAs through University College Dublin (UCD) in 2021 almost 2,962 SNAs have completed the course which is accredited as a Level 6 Special Purpose award on the National Framework of Qualification (NFQ) while a further 800 are enrolled for the current academic year.

Further to a recent procurement process by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on behalf of the Department of Education, Atlantic Technological University emerged as the successful tenderer to continue delivery of the course now that the current contract is due to expire shortly.

The national training programme for SNAs includes training on the aetiology, characteristics and implications of additional educational needs including cognitive, physical, sensory, social-emotional disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Schools are required to take all reasonable precautions and to provide training to staff to ensure the safety and welfare of their students.

It is therefore a matter for the Board of Management to ensure that SNAs are in a position to effectively meet the care needs of students for whom SNA support has been allocated in the school. Where specific training is required, the Board of Management should liaise with the Health Service Executive (HSE) in order to access guidance and training to enable the SNA to meet the care needs of the pupil(s) concerned in an appropriate manner.