Written answers

Monday, 8 September 2025

Department of Education and Skills

School Staff

Photo of Grace BolandGrace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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745. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SNA reviews carried out the NCSE by in primary schools in Dublin Fingal West during 2024-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44460/25]

Photo of Grace BolandGrace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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746. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the names of the schools in which SNA reviews were carried out by the NCSE in 2024-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44461/25]

Photo of Michael MoynihanMichael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 745 and 746 together.

This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs, including the allocation of special needs assistants (SNAs). I have forwarded your query to them for their attention and direct reply.

Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at .

It is important to remember that special needs assistants (SNAs) are allocated to schools and not to individual children. Any school who believes their allocation is insufficient to support the primary care needs of the students enrolled can request a SNA review with the NCSE.

The school can also make contact with their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) to discuss their allocation. Local SENOs can provide advise and support to schools as to how best to manage their SNA resources to support the care needs of the students in which this support is provided.

Photo of Grace BolandGrace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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747. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SNA positions that will be available for the start of the school term September 2025, compared to September 2024, in Dublin Fingal West; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44462/25]

Photo of Michael MoynihanMichael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs, including the allocation of special needs assistants (SNAs). The NCSE has advised my department that all schools have been informed of their SNA allocation for the 2025/26 school year.

The NCSE published SNA allocations for the 2024/25 and 2025/2026 school years on the NCSE's website (). For ease of reference these allocations are broken down by school type and county.

Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at .

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