Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
579. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of the 990 SNA posts promised under Budget 2021 that have been hired.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51053/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra580. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if the funding for any SNAs not delivered under Budget 2021 was carried over into Budget 2022. [51054/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 579 and 580 together.
The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels.
Following Budget 2021, it is expected that a total of 18,004 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts will have been allocated to primary, post primary and special schools by the end of December 2021 .
The allocation of SNA posts for 2021 will continue until the end of December 2021.
The NCSE advises that of the 990 post sanction in last year’s budget, 919 have been allocated to date and the remaining 71 will be allocated before the 31st December 2021.
Budget 2022 announced details of €9.2 billion in funding for education and includes funding for an additional 1,165 additional special needs assistants to provide support to children with special educational needs, bringing the total number of SNAs to 19,169. This represents an increase of 81% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.
The allocation of 1,165 SNAs announced in Budget 2022 is to meet the care needs of pupils in2022 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support children in mainstream classes for the 2022/23 school year.
The allocation of the 1,165 SNA posts covers primary and post-primary schools as follows:
- 574 to support students in new special classes
- 46 to support students in new special school places
- 545 to support students in mainstream classes
The special education funding for 2022 is over a quarter of the current expenditure budget for the Department of Education.
