Clare Daly
Question:1341. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on concerns expressed regarding circular 0041/15 (details supplied). [32142/15]
View answerTuesday, 22 September 2015
Questions (1341)
Written answers
Firstly, I am pleased to inform you that my Department recently received approval for an additional 610 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) SNA posts from September 2015 to reflect the Government's commitment to ensure that every child with an assessed need has access to a SNA. This is an important principle and will continue in the 2015/16 school year. This increase in SNA posts is in addition to the additional 220 SNA posts for 2015 already provided for last autumn. The overall result of this is that from September 2015 there will be 11,820 whole-time SNA posts available in our primary and post-primary schools. This is an 11.7% increase since this Government came to office.
I am also aware of concerns expressed by SNAs regarding the casualisation of SNA positions and in recent months my Department has also issued a circular regarding the employment of SNAs. (DES Circular 41/2015 – See attached link):
http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/Recruitment-of-Special-Needs-Assistants-SNAs-Supplementary-Assignment-Arrangements-for-the-2015-16-school-year.pdf
This Circular details the supplementary assignment arrangements for SNAs for the 15/16 school year and also outlines that where a school/ETB has an additional allocation of SNA hours/posts, then that additional allocation of hours/posts must be offered to any existing part-time SNAs in that employment, in order of seniority, before the employer has recourse to recruitment. This was done with a view to addressing the issue of casualisation of employment amongst SNAs.
This circular will go a long way to address concerns about casualisation that have arisen within the profession and which I addressed at the IMPACT education sector conference at Easter. This circular builds on the introduction of a supplementary assignment panel process for SNAs which was introduced two years ago, giving SNAs the alternative of redeployment instead of redundancy. Both measures have operated in advance of the 15/16 school year giving SNAs greater stability and a better chance of a full-hours contract.
The purpose of these arrangements is to facilitate eligible SNAs who are being made redundant by one employer in filling SNA vacancies that may become available in another school/ETB. Furthermore, it means that, before an employer opts to recruit a further person as an SNA(s), they must ensure that all existing part-time SNAs in their employment, in order of seniority, have been offered a full-time position in the school or, in the case of ETBs, a full-time position in a school within the ETB scheme.
The only exception that can be made to this rule is where a school/ETB has a determination in writing from the NCSE / SENO stating that their allocation must be split amongst a specific number of SNAs and/or stating that the allocation must be implemented in a specific fashion to address the care needs of the pupil(s). In cases where this exception is being invoked by a school/ETB then this written determination from the NCSE / SENO must be provided to the existing part-time SNA(s) affected. It should also be noted that the position in relation to the allocation and distribution of Infant days, which is a distinct and specific feature of the SNA scheme, remains unaffected.
If an SNA believes that Circular 0041/15 regarding the allocation of extra hours to current SNAs was not adhered to in their school i.e. they were not furnished with information regarding either a written determination from the NCSE/SENO and/or the invocation of the Infant Days principle then they should contact the dedicated e-mail address snasupplementpanel@education.gov.ie and my officials will ensure that the relevant information regarding the matter is provided to them by their employer.
Finally, as already outlined, my Department has set up a dedicated e-mail address 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