Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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304. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department and the National Council for Special Education will urgently review the allocation of SNA support for a school (details supplied); and provide greater transparency on the way in which allocations are determined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52868/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for children with special educational needs. The NCSE has advised me that the school referred to by the Deputy applied for a special need assistant (SNA) allocation review during the last school year. A review of the care needs was completed and school was advised that there was no change to their current allocation.

The school has reapplied to the NCSE for a SNA allocation review and this is presently progressing. The school will be advised of the outcome as a priority once completed.

Where additional SNA resources are necessary to support the needs of students in the school, this will be provided as it has been in previous years. In addition. following the outcome of the review, the NCSE can make a local special educational needs organiser (SENO) available to the school to discuss their current deployment of SNA supports and to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. NCSE in-school support is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.

The NCSE issues guidance each year to schools regarding SNA allocation reviews and the guidance for the 2025/26 school year issued on the 12 September 2025. The NCSE has confirmed they will be engaging with stakeholders to clarify any issues raised on these guidelines. Schools are also welcome to contact the NCSE at a local level with any queries they have.