As I have advised the Deputy in recent responses, the previous Government capped the number of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts at 10,575 in December 2010. That cap remained in place until December 2013. In December 2013, this Government agreed to increase the cap on the number of SNA posts by 390 posts to 10,965 at the end of 2014. The total number of Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) SNA posts currently allocated by the NCSE is 10,656 posts. Over 23,000 children access SNA services. The total number of WTE SNA posts at the end of the 2011/12 school year was 10,320 with over 22,000 children accessing SNA services, and 10,487 WTE posts at the end of the 2012/13 school year with over 23,000 children accessing SNA services. A whole time equivalent SNA post equates to 32 hours per week. A breakdown of the number of SNA posts allocated to each school, on a per county basis, for the 2013/14 and 2012/13 school years is available at the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.
The NCSE allocates a quantum of SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support. The deployment of SNAs within schools is then a matter for the individual Principal-Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
