Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 July 2016
251. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) is not entitled to the provision of a special needs assistant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22211/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs assistants (SNAs). The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
As outlined in this circular, SNAs are provided specifically to assist schools to cater for pupils with disabilities, who have additional and significant care needs, in an educational context and where the nature of these care needs have been outlined in medical and other professional reports as being so significant that a pupil will require additional adult assistance in order to be able to attend school and to participate in education.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2016/17 school year by 29 February 2016. The NCSE also continue to accept applications after that date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
The NCSE advised all schools of their allocations for SNA support for the coming 2016/17 school year on 14 June, 2016.
Details of the allocations which have been made to schools have now been published on www.ncse.ie.
I announced on the 14th June, 2016 that 860 additional Special Needs Assistants will be available for allocation to schools from September 2016, which is a 7% increase on the existing availability.
This will bring the total number of Special Needs Assistants to 12,900. This increase reflects the growing participation of children with Special Needs in education and will support their full participation and progression within the educational system.
It should also be noted that SNA allocations are not made to individual children, but are made to schools to support the care needs of children with assessed special educational needs in the school.
Where a school wishes to appeal the SNA allocation which has been made to them, they may do so through the NCSE appeal process, details of which are set out at www.ncse.ie.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, while Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available the NCSE website.
As the Deputy's question relates to the allocation of SNA support by the NCSE to a school for an individual child, I have referred this question to the NCSE for their consideration and direct reply to the Deputy.
