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Special Educational Needs

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Questions (265)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

265. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for refusal of a special needs assistant for a person (details supplied). [13051/17]

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Written answers

The 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. It should 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 in the school.

The local SENO is available to discuss any concerns that parents have about the present or future educational needs of their child. All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. Contact details are also available on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie.

As the question which the Deputy asks relates to an individual child, the matter has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply.

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