I wish to advise the Deputy that, following a review of this case, my Department has approved four hours resource teaching per week for the pupil in question. The school authorities have recently been informed of this decision.
The Deputy may not be aware that when a pupil in receipt of special educational resources transfers to another school, an application to transfer the resources must be lodged with my Department. In effect, these resources are then reviewed as the child's needs may have changed since the support was originally sanctioned. In the case in question, an application was received and, as the pupil is a new entrant to this school, the application was given priority. However, the application does not meet the criteria for special needs assistant support, SNA, under the terms of my Department's circulars. The application for SNA support will be reconsidered if additional information on the pupil's care support needs is received in my Department.