Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 June 2013

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Questions (249)

Simon Harris

Question:

249. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the number of special needs assistant posts in a special needs school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; if there have been any additional allocations of special needs resources in view of the acute demand and circumstances; the action currently being considered to address the acute demand and altered circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30194/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that the NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department.

All schools were advised to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2013/14 school year by 15th March 2013.

The NCSE has now published details of all of their allocations for SNA support for the 2013/2014 school year. These details are now available on the NCSE website, www.ncse.ie. Details of the allocations made for each school, including the school referred to by the deputy, are provided on this website on a per county basis.