Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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398. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her position on the pay scale for special needs assistants who are offered full-time contracts and begin on point one of the scale but have years of experience as a part-time and/or substitute special needs assistants; if there are plans to review the pay scale to recognise the previous work experience that special needs assistants have; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13991/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The criteria required to have incremental credit awarded to qualified Special Needs Assistants (SNA) is set out in Circular 0139/2006 and was agreed with the unions representing the Special Needs Assistants, School Management Representatives, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Department of Education.

Circular 139/2006 provides for the recognition of prior relevant experience where that prior service is demonstrated to be relevant to the SNA role and also where it meets the other criteria specified in this circular. Prior sub SNA service and prior SNA fixed terms contract service is not provided for under 139/2006. This relates to the fact that this service whilst publicly funded, it is temporary in nature and does not meet the requirement to be remunerated under either a whole time contract or a part time contract post 20 December 2001.

There are no plans to review the process of recognition of prior relevant experience with regard to those currently working as SNAs.