Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2016
505. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a special needs assistant for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5288/16]
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 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014. Circular 0030/2014 sets out the role of professional reports and recommendations by medical/other professionals in the context of consideration of applications for SNA support by the NCSE. The Circular explains that, while professional reports provide valuable assistance to education providers in identifying a diagnosis or identifying appropriate interventions, responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools to support pupils with special educational needs resides with the NCSE through the SENO.
It should also be noted that SNA allocations are not made to individual children, but are made to schools to support the care needs of children with assessed special educational needs. The deployment of SNA support and organisation of resource teaching support within schools is a matter for individual schools to manage, taking into account each child's individual needs. 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. I understand that the school referred to in the Deputy's question currently has an allocation of four SNAs. Should the school wish to make an application for additional SNA support, they may make such an application to the NCSE. The NCSE recently asked all schools to submit applications for SNA support for the 2016/17 school year, including for any new applications, by 29th February, 2016.
The NCSE will also continue to process applications for access to SNA support which are received after this deadline. Such applications will be processed in the order in which the applications have been received. Having considered the applications received, the NCSE will advise all schools of their SNA allocations in advance of the coming school year. All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs. Details of the manner in which a school or parent may appeal the level of SNA allocation which has been made to support a child in school, to the NCSE, are set out on the NCSE website.
Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that, for children who, for a number of reasons have been unable to attend school due to a significant medical condition, my Department may provide a compensatory educational service through the Home Tuition scheme. In this regard I understand that, in addition to this pupil's reduced attendance in school, funding is being provided through the Home Tuition scheme for the pupil referred to by the Deputy, in order to support this pupil's re-integration back in to school.
