Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024
272. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the estimated first and full-year cost of increasing the number of special needs assistants by 500, 1,000 and 1,500 respectively, in tabular form. [15984/24]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
In 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million, and this is dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs.
This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2024, the number of SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 1,216 SNAs posts available for allocation by the NCSE. This will mean we will have over 21,900 SNA posts available to our schools to support the care needs of pupils with special educational needs.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.
SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into mainstream education, special classes and special schools ensuring that these students can access education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
The estimated annual cost of a new entrant SNA post is €32,740, the estimated full-year cost of increasing the number of special needs assistants by 500, 1,000 and 1,500 posts is as follows.
|
Number of posts |
Estimated cost |
|
500 |
€16,370,000 |
|
1,000 |
€32,740,000 |
|
1,500 |
€49,110,000 |
