Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
290. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the €29 million allocated to special needs as outlined in budget 2018; the amount of the allocation that has been spent; the way in which the funds were spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24298/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe allocation referred to by the Deputy is the increase in funding for the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Scheme in 2018.
My Department’s policy is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support. I secured an additional €30 million in Budget 2018 to fund the continued development of the SNA scheme with some 1,010 additional SNA posts being provided for from that funding.
The first tranche, 70 posts, were made available for allocation for the period January to June 2018. I announced last month that a further 800 SNA posts have been made available for allocation for September 2018 with an additional 140 posts expected to be allocated by the end of the year.
The Government now invests €524 million in SNAs annually, as part of a total €1.75 billion investment in special educational needs overall. There will be a total of 15,000 SNAs working in our schools, supporting over 36,000 pupils, by the end of this year.
This increased investment reflects the priority which the Government has put on helping children with special educational needs to fulfil their potential. It also reflects the growing participation of children with special educational needs in the education system and the capacity of our education system to better support their full participation and progression.
Information on the amount of the financial allocation that has been spent will not be available until the end of the current financial year.
