Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
115. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average timeframe for a mainstream school to receive additional SNA hours once a new or increased need is identified during the school year; whether she is satisfied that this timeframe supports inclusion, wellbeing, and continuity of education for the child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11110/26]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to achieve their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
By the end of this year there will be almost 25,000 special needs assistants (SNAs) in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for the allocation and review of SNA resources in our schools.
A critical part of this function is to ensure that SNAs are allocated to schools based on the care needs profile of individual schools and that schools have sufficient resources to meet the care needs of their pupils. In doing so the NCSE undertake reviews which look, not just at the numbers of SNAs in the school, but also how they are utilised and deployed. At all times the key focus is on meeting the care needs of the children in the school as well as fostering independent living skills.
The timeframe for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided, however the NCSE are committed to completing reviews on an ongoing basis and ensuring that the outcome of reviews are advised to schools as promptly as possible.
The SNA review process is designed to ensure a consistency in approach and outcome across all schools. The NCSE will also assist schools with the deployment of their SNA resources to ensure that individual children are supported as quickly and effectively as possible.
On completion of both phases above, a school be advised of an outcome of a review. The review panel will provide each school with a rationale outlining the reason for the outcome of the review.
