Special Educational Needs

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 February 2022

Tuesday, 22 February 2022

Questions (507)

Seán Haughey

Question:

507. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education when details of the new model for allocating special needs assistants to schools will be known; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that schools are enrolling students with additional needs now but that they have to wait until May 2022 before they know what supports will be available to them; her views on whether this could lead to a large number of exceptional reviews being submitted to her Department which will cause delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10050/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education

The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.

Where circumstances change during the course of the 2021/22 school year that materially increase the level of care need in a school to the extent that the school can clearly demonstrate that it cannot be met within the existing SNA allocation, the school may apply to the NCSE for a review. Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website: ncse.ie/for-schools.

All stakeholders will be advised when the SNA allocation process has been completed and this will be done in line with previous years in May.