Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2015
772. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a special needs assistant can be facilitated in the case of a child (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11353/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
Where a child has significant care needs, to the extent that they need additional support to be able to attend school, the NCSE may make an allocation of SNA support to the school to assist the child. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
The NCSE will consider all applications for SNA support made by schools, including from the school referred to by the Deputy. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO.
Schools have also been asked to apply to the NCSE, by 18th March, 2015, for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year. The NCSE will consider all applications for SNA support made by schools. Allocations for SNA support will then be made to qualifying schools.
Schools who wish to appeal the level of SNA allocation made to them may do so via the appeals process which is set out at www.ncse.ie.
Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
