Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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435. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications received for the academic year for transport for children with additional needs; and the number that have been processed, by county, in tabular form. [54765/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.

The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to my Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs.

Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).

In the current school year already almost 178,000 children and young people are being transported on a daily basis to schools throughout the country.

Of those 178,000 pupils, services facilitate over 100,000 mainstream pupils who are eligible for transport, as well as over 49,000 concessionary pupils. In addition, over 23,000 pupils are travelling on dedicated school transport services for children with additional needs.

As of the 9th October, over 5,900 new applications under the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs have been received for the 2025/26 school year. It is important to note that while there is a closing date for applications, the Department accept applications all year round so this number is expected to increase.

The above figure includes new applications from pupils who have moved address or school, pupils who will be placed on existing services where there is capacity, and pupils who will require new services which involve a procurement process. This figure also includes applications where families will request a special transport grant where the pupil is deemed eligible for transport, however, it may not be possible for them to travel on school transport services because of their individual requirements.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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436. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if children with emotional and behavioural challenges will continue to be supported with SNAs; the proposed changes to the SNA supports; where children with additional needs present with emotional and behavioural challenges as opposed to primary care needs; the way in which these children will be supported if they do not have access to an SNA; the way in which school classrooms will function if children with emotional and behavioural challenges do not have access to a SNA to be supported outside of the classroom during periods of overwhelm; if she is aware of the difficulties being faced by school teachers as a result of classroom disruption due to children’s emotional and behavioural challenges going unsupported; if she has consulted with teacher and school principal representative bodies in relation to any proposed changes to the SNA structures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54784/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) issues guidance each year to schools regarding special needs assistant (SNA) reviews and the guidance for 2025/26 school year issued on the 12 September 2025.

It is important to clarify some of the concerns raised since publication of the guidelines.

The process for allocating SNAs has been in place since 2014 and is not changing this year. There has been no freeze on SNAs, in fact the number of SNAs in our schools has increased by 43% in the last 5 years alone.

Schools were issued with their allocations for the 2025/26 school year in June and the NCSE has confirmed that no SNA post was removed from any school that was remaining open for the 2025/26 school year.

The SNA review window from 15 September to 24 October relates to schools who believe they do not have sufficient SNAs to support their care needs at present. It remains that a school can apply to the NCSE at any time during the school year, as in previous years, for a review where emerging or new care needs arise. An emerging care need for example would be changing care needs in their existing student enrolment, newly identified care need or a new enrolment(s) with care needs.

Importantly, the role and responsibilities of SNAs have not changed. SNAs remain responsible for meeting the primary care needs of students with special educational needs. Principals/boards of management remain able to deploy this school-based resource to meet the care support requirements of the children enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. This ensures schools remain able to provide flexible arrangements in how the SNA support is utilised on a day-to-day basis.?

Circular 0030/2014 outlines that provision of SNA Support should not be considered as a first response for the management of behaviour. SNA support should only be provided where behavioural management strategies have not been successful to date and where it is demonstrated how access to such support can assist with ongoing planning and intervention for the child. Schools are required to show evidence of the use of a variety of approaches to behaviour in all applications to the NCSE.

The NCSE has written to all schools since the publication of the guidelines to clarify these and other concerns.