James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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236. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reconsider awarding incremental credits to a special needs assistant who has been employed in local authority-owned facilities which were managed by a private company (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26684/25]

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 sets out in section 4.3 that incremental credit is not awarded for service in a private setting. In an email to the department, the previous employer confirmed that this prior service was with a private organisation. An outcome letter issued to this teacher and the relevant unit of my department also responded to a further letter from this teacher.

Circular 139/2006 also sets out in section 4.1 that prior service should have taken place in a publicly funded body.