Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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373. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason an SNA review has been initiated for a school (details supplied). [65358/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education and Youth and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are aware of recent issues raised by the school to which the Deputy refers. Both department and NCSE officials are engaging with the school directly to address the concerns raised.

The school will continue to be prioritised for support by the NCSE, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and by the department’s Inspectorate.

In order to ensure the school has the required resources to support the students enrolled, the NCSE has initiated a review of their special need assistant (SNA) resource allocation. During the NCSE assesses the level of need within the school as a whole and this is critical to ensure that the care needs of the entire school are identified and that the school is resourced to meet this identified need. Once the NCSE has completed the review the NCSE will communicate the outcome of the review directly to the school.

When the NCSE completes the SNA review and if additional SNA support is identified as being required it will be provided. 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 in the school and to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. The NCSE in-school support service is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.

My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.