Special Educational Needs Staff Remuneration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 June 2014

Thursday, 26 June 2014

Questions (85)

Seán Fleming

Question:

85. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills where special needs assistants are being made redundant in a school, whether the years of service in situations where they worked as SNAs in two separate schools that were ultimately amalgamated will include the years when they worked in the previous schools or whether these years are lost; whether they will be entitled to having years of service counted only in respect of the period after the amalgamation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27668/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Special Need Assistants (SNA) resources are allocated by the National Council for Special Education to primary and second level schools. Where the allocation of resources to a school is reduced an SNA employed by the managerial authority of the school is entitled to apply for redundancy provided that they have been employed in the same school for a minimum of one year.

In 2013 a scheme was introduced whereby an SNA had the option of remaining on a panel for a year while seeking new employment. Where an SNA is appointed to a new post from the panel, service from the previous employment will be counted for redundancy purposes should a further redundancy situation arise. The time limit for inclusion on the panel was extended to two years in 2014. Where schools amalgamate and SNAs transfer to and continue to work in the amalgamated school, service in both schools is counted as continuous service for redundancy purposes.