Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
441. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education when the proposed frontloaded SNA allocation model is due to be introduced; how the frontloaded allocation model will work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47395/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs and in 2024 a further 744 teachers, and 1,126 SNAs will be added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs.
This will mean there will be close to 20,000 teachers and over 21,000 SNAs working in the area of special education. Together we will have over 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into mainstream education, special classes and special schools ensuring that these students can access education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
SNAs are allocated to schools as a school based resource and not to individual children. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. This allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
A school can apply to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) for a review of its SNA allocation if it is believed insufficient to support the care needs identified.
The SET model introduced in 2017 was intended to form the basis of an SNA front loading model, however there has been a number of emerging issues that has meant this has to be re-evaluated.
The much greater prevalence of autism, the impacts of COVID-19 particularly on children with SEN and the challenges for the HSE in securing sufficient therapists to work with children with SEN are issues that are manifesting in classrooms as more challenging behavioural and care needs place ever greater demand on existing resources. In this context it has not been possible to reallocate SNA resources and more work needs to be done to understand the implications of these issues as we develop the most appropriate model.
In the last two years, the NCSE has been working with schools to address additional care needs that arise by means of the Exceptional Review process. This process involves detailed analysis of the care needs in individual schools and ensures that the correct resources are applied to children who need them. At present, this process is the best approach to assist schools in supporting vital care needs.
Work will continue until a successful model is ready to introduce. Further work is being undertaken as highlighted above in tandem with the review of SET, which will support our thinking as how best SNA resources can also be managed. It is important that any allocation process is based on care needs rather than educational ability. My Department is fully committed to establishing an SNA model of allocation that is fully cognisant of matching SNA resources with the care needs of those children who require this support.
