Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address the pay disparity between special needs assistants (SNAs) and non-SNAs for supervising State exams, a practice that appears discriminatory and contrary to the principles of equity within the education system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16796/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The State Examinations Commission (SEC) acknowledges that school authorities are in the best position to put the arrangements in place to cater for the needs of individual candidates for whom the use of a special centre has been approved. The SEC further recognises that in the interests of candidate(s) for whom special centres are approved, the school may wish to nominate a specific SNA or a member of the SNA cohort within the school to act as superintendent.

Duties such as assisting students and acting as reader / scribe for a student who is doing a state examination form part of the normal duties of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and attract no additional payment. In addition the agreed contract of employment provides that SNAs are required to work the month of June on examinations or other work appropriate to the grade, which includes tasks relating to supporting candidates undertaking state exams. However, in recognition of the discharge of the full range of additional duties and responsibilities associated with the role of superintending a special centre, a daily rate was agreed by the union which represented SNA’s in 2008.

Any changes to the terms and conditions agreed previously can occur only under industrial relations processes and any such proposals would need to be considered in detail by this Department and by the State Examinations Commission, which is a statutorily independent Body.