Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 May 2022
511. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the factors that will be taken into account when allocating SNAs to schools under the new frontloading allocation model; and when schools will receive their allocation for the 2022-2023 school year. [23123/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe availability of Special Needs Assistants (SNA) is critical to the inclusion of students with significant care needs in education and in school life. The role of the SNAs is set out in various Department circulars. The allocation of SNAs is the responsibility of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). There are well established allocation SNA: student ratios for students with particular disabilities enrolled in both special classes and special schools. There are separate arrangements for students with special educational needs (SEN) enrolled in mainstream classes. Many students with SEN enrolled in mainstream classes do not have significant care needs and are supported through the Special Education Teacher (SET) allocation in line with their need.
Working is ongoing in terms of the SNA allocation for the school year 2022/2023 and consultation with the education partners will form a key component and details will be announced in the near future.
A key consideration in the allocation of SNAs is to ensure that those students with the greatest level of care needs receive the most support. This is a key principle underlying Department policy on special education. The allocation system must be objective and fair with the capacity to take account of local and individual circumstances.
Up to 2019/20, allocations were made by the NCSE on the basis of a diagnosis as evidenced by a report provided by a professional confirming the care needs of an individual student.
A core recommendation of the National Council for Special Education’s (NCSE) Review of the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme (2018) concerned a change in the way that SNAs are allocated to mainstream classes in both primary and post primary schools and called for the greater proportion of SNAs in these classes to be allocated on the basis of a profile of each school before the commencement of the school year in a similar manner to the allocation of special education teachers (SETs).
