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Special Educational Needs Staffing

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Questions (413)

Finian McGrath

Question:

413. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that there is a register of special needs assistants applying for an SNA position in a school; and if this exists, if he will provide the contact details concerning the person responsible for this register. [38616/13]

View answer

Written answers

As the Deputy will be aware, a new set of proposals for a public service agreement were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). One aspect of this Agreement relates to supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and as both Unions that represent SNAs namely, SIPTU and IMPACT, have signed up to the Haddington Road Agreement, the Department has implemented supplementary assignment arrangements for SNAs for the 2013/2014 school year.

The detailed arrangements are set out in Departmental Circular 0037/2013 which issued on 1 July 2013 and which is available on the Department's website at the following address: http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0037_2013.pdf.

With effect from 1 May 2013 once an SNA with a minimum of one year's service is notified by his/her employer that he/she is to be made redundant then he/she shall be deemed to be a member of a Supplementary Assignment Panel for SNAs.

For the 2013/2014 school year a list of SNAs who have been deemed to be members of the Supplementary Assignment Panel will not be made or kept by the Department of Education and Skills. The operation of this panel is as described and outlined in Circular 0037/2013. This enables all eligible SNAs, who have the requisite SUPPLEMENTARY ASSIGNMENT PANEL FORM 2013/2014 completed by their former employer, to apply for any SNA position that is advertised by a school or an ETB with no geographical limitations imposed.

The Department has set out up a dedicated e-mail address to deal with all queries in relation to the SNA Supplementary Assignment Panel and any queries in respect of the operation of the Panel can be directed to this dedicated e-mail address snasupplementpanel@education.gov.ie.

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