Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2015
544. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm that the Health Service Executive provides funding towards the provision of special needs assistants; that the executive plans to continue the provision of this funding on an ad hoc basis, or to introduce a fair, transparent, nationwide system, that is in keeping with the principles of the progressing disability services strategy. [24758/15]
View answerThe Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Scheme which is under the remit of my Department, provides schools with additional adult support staff to provide for the care needs of children with special educational needs attending schools. The Health Service Executive (HSE) does not provide funding towards the provision of Special Needs Assistant support in Schools.
Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website www.education.ie, sets out my Department's policy in relation to the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating SNA support to schools to support children with special educational needs who have additional care needs.
Once allocated, 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.
The NCSE invited schools to make applications for SNA support for children who have assessed care needs for the coming 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015, for their consideration. The NCSE is currently considering all of the applications for support which have been received, including those which have been received after the 18th March, and will advise schools of the outcome of their applications ahead of the new school year.
The Progressing Disability Services Programme is under the remit of the HSE and any matters relating to this should be addressed directly to my colleague, the Minister for Health.
