Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
661 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of applications that have been made for special needs assistants in primary and secondary education for the school year 2004-05; the number of these requests which have been acceded to; and the locations from which such requests have been made and at which they have been granted. [22955/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has received applications for special needs assistant, SNA, support from primary schools in respect of 2,977 pupils since 1 September 2003. Applications for SNA support for new entrant pupils were prioritised and decisions on the majority of these were communicated to schools on 12 August 2004. My Department continues to communicate with schools in respect of other new entrant cases as additional supporting information is provided. To date, 452 applications have been successful, resulting in approximately 290 wholetime equivalent SNA posts being sanctioned.
Statistical information as requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of applications received in my Department at post-primary level for the provision of SNAs is not available. However, to date for the 2004-05 school year, a total of 386.65 wholetime equivalent SNAs have been allocated to the voluntary, secondary, community and comprehensive sectors.
Information relating to the locations from which requests for SNAs have been made and at which they have been granted is not readily available. The Deputy may be interested to know that it has been my intention for some time to carry out a review of the deployment of SNAs in primary schools. I accept the view expressed by schools that any such review should have regard to the actual situation in schools. Accordingly, I have decided that the review should involve a visit to each school which has SNA support. Arrangements are being made to implement this review at an early date and a further communication will issue to schools in this regard.
Decisions regarding the appropriate level of SNA support in individual schools will be based on the outcome of this review. Pending notification of the outcome, schools which have been advised by the Department that they have surplus SNA capacity or consider that they have such a surplus may retain the excess up to the level of applications made to the Department for which a response is awaited.
