Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2018
181. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the situation of a SNA (details supplied); his views on whether in cases in which a SNA has had his or her hours cut by a third, the SNA should be able to apply to go on the panel to seek full-time hours elsewhere; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29155/18]
View answerThe number of SNAs employed in a school depends on the allocation given to the school by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), based on its assessment of the special educational needs of pupils in the school. This allocation can increase or decrease from year to year depending on a variety of factors, including changes in care needs and changes in the number of pupils in respect of whom an allocation is made. The NCSE is an independent statutory body and the Department therefore has no input into the allocation process to schools.
As part of the Budget 2018 announcements, the Government advised that it was making an additional 1,091 SNA posts available, 800 of which will be allocated to schools for the beginning of the 2018/19 school year. This will bring the total number of SNAs to 15,000, a 42% increase over the 10,575 SNA posts in 2011. This is the largest number of posts that has ever been available for allocation and will ensure that the Department's policy of ensuring that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support.
There are also supplementary panel arrangements in place to facilitate SNAs made redundant by one employer in filling SNA vacancies that may become available in another school/ETB. These arrangements were agreed between management and staff-side representative bodies and are subject to annual reviews by these parties. The current SNA supplementary assignment panel arrangements for the 2018/19 school year are contained in Circular 34/18 which can be accessed through the following link: http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0034_2018.pdf
Every eligible SNA remains on the panel for two years with a view to getting further employment. If they are not successful over that period of time in obtaining a further SNA position then they will be eligible for a redundancy payment in line with the terms set out in the SNA redundancy scheme (set out in Circular 58/06). Furthermore, Circular 58/06 also provides for compensation for the loss of hours to affected SNAs where the NCSE may have reduced an individual schools' allocation of SNA hours.
It should also be noted that the supplementary panel arrangements do not prevent any person, including newly qualified SNAs, from applying for SNA vacancies but employers are obliged to give precedence to applicants who are members of the SNA Supplementary Assignment Panel.
