Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 March 2019
326. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a child who is in receipt of SNA assistance in a particular school and moves from that school to another location or school during the same school year is no longer entitled to a SNA in the new school and must wait until the beginning of September in the following school year in order to avail of a SNA once again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13161/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.
In considering applications for SNA support for individual pupils, the NCSE take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.
Where a school has received its allocation of SNA support but wishes new enrolments or assessments to be considered, which were not taken into account when the initial allocation was made, they may continue to make applications to the NCSE.
