Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
491. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth to confirm a new special school in Lucan (details supplied) has been provided with the necessary resources to provide education to students attending on a full school day basis; whether the necessary allocation of SNAs to support students safely has been provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5798/26]
View answerEnabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
Special needs assistant (SNA) posts are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the students enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
The NCSE has published the SNA allocations for the 2025/26 school year. For ease of reference these allocations are broken down by school type and are available on the NCSE's website.
If a school considers that it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students an application can be submitted to the NCSE requesting a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website. Each case is individually assessed and is based on the student profile of each school. Some review requests can be concluded as an office-based exercise, whilst others require a school to be visited in order to observe the current deployment of SNA support in the school setting.
The NCSE have confirmed that the SNA review for the school named is with the review panel for decision.
I would like to assure you when a NCSE review is completed in a school and the review identifies that additional SNA resource(s) is required that these will be allocated by the NCSE to the relevant school. The timeframe for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided.
Following the outcome of the review, the NCSE can make a local special educational needs organiser (SENO) available to the school to discuss their approach to deployment of SNA support and how best these resources can be deployed to the advantage of the students. The NCSE in-school support service is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
