Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 September 2016
116. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a special needs assistant, SNA, and appropriate learning supports will be made available to a child (details supplied) with special educational needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27871/16]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including SNA support.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website at: www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.
Responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools to support individual pupils rests with the NCSE.
I am advised that the child to which the Deputy refers has an allocation of Low Incidence Teaching hours support and access to SNA support in the school to which she is enrolled.
Where a school wishes to appeal the SNA or resource teaching support allocation which has been made to them, they may do so through the NCSE appeal process, details of which are set out at www.ncse.ie. The option to invoke the NCSE appeals process is open to the school in question.
The local SENO is available to discuss any concerns that the school or parents may have about the present or future educational needs of the child. All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. Contact details are also available on the NCSE website at: www.ncse.ie.
