Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2026
365. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated full-year cost of increasing the number of special needs assistants by 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 respectively, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51345/26]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting students with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
In 2026, over €3 billion will be spent supporting students with special educational needs. It will ensure that specialist capacity continues to grow by providing 3,000 specialist places. The majority of these places will be available in special classes within mainstream schools. It will increase our special educational posts by 860 special education teacher and over 1,700 special needs assistant (SNA) posts. This will mean we will have almost 46,000 professionals dedicated to supporting students with special educational needs in our schools. This is one of the highest annual increases in posts to date and is a firm reminder of this government’s commitment to supporting students with special educational needs.
The estimated full-year cost of a new entrant special needs assistant is €37,374 per annum
The estimated full-year cost of a special needs assistant on average is €45,020 per annum. This includes provision for employer PRSI.
Where posts are allocated from 1 September, the cost is a pro-rata equivalent of the full 12-month annual cost.
The below table gives a breakdown of the information requested by the Deputy.
|
Number of SNAs |
New Entrant |
Average Cost |
|
1500 |
€56,061,000 |
€67,530,000 |
|
2000 |
€74,748,000 |
€90,040,000 |
|
2500 |
€93,435,000 |
€112,550,000 |
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 achieve their full potential.
