Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 June 2012
213 Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is acceptable to him that special educational needs organisers do not have the necessary formal qualifications in education or health to assess special needs assistant supports for children with special needs. [28998/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra214 Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is acceptable to him that on application for an additional special needs assistant for a new entrant, the entire population of special needs children in the school must be reviewed. [28999/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which was established as a result of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for co-ordinating special needs education provision at local level and arranging for the delivery of special educational services. It is the role of SENOs to process applications from schools for special educational needs supports, within my Department's criteria, and to determine the quantum of educational resources to be allocated to schools to support pupils with special educational needs.
The NCSE has advised that all SENOs hold a minimum qualification of a third level primary degree. Appropriately qualified professionals from a variety of agencies, including my Department's National Educational Psychological Service and private practice, provide reports and recommendations on children with special educational needs to SENOs who take into account the needs set out in such reports, along with other relevant factors such as the resources available to the school, to identify supports which may be allocated to schools to support pupils with special educational needs. SNAs, once allocated to schools, are a school-based resource. The allocation of SNAs, while allocated on the basis of an assessed need of an individual child, are allocated to the school and should be deployed with discretion by the school in a manner which bests meets the support and care requirements of the children.
