Special Educational Needs

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 October 2022

Tuesday, 4 October 2022

Ceisteanna (390)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

390. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of SNAs that were recruited from September 2021; and the net increase in SNAs over that period. [48221/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education

I would like to thank the Deputy for the questions raised and would advise the following:

The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and reviews. The Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.

When a school has been allocated an SNA, the Board of Management, as the employer, is responsible for filling the vacancy and the decision on whether to employ a full time SNA to fill a full time post or to employ an equivalent number of part time SNAs rests with the employer. The NCSE have confirmed that since September 2021, there has been a net increase of 910.54 SNA posts.

The NCSE publish statistics on SNA allocations to primary, post primary and special schools in tabular form, by county, for each school year, this information is available on their website: www.ncse.ie

My Department acts as paymaster to over 3,700 schools whose Boards of Management are the direct employers of the SNAs in those schools. SNAs in the Education and Training Board sector are employed and paid by the ETBs.

The information requested in relation to recruitment at school level is not available as the filling of vacancies is a matter for the employer.