Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 June 2025
344. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department requires schools to assign resources for academic year 2025/26 from their current complement of SNAs irrespective of increased need for SNA resources. [31553/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra345. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the instruction her Department is giving schools that do not have enough SNA resources to cater to the needs of their pupils. [31554/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 345 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.
Special needs assistants (SNAs) play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools. They help ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. They 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 children enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated.?This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
The NCSE has now allocated all additional 1,600 SNA post provided for in Budget 2025 and informed school of their SNA allocation for the 2025/26 school year. If a school feels like 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 (https://ncse.ie/sna-review-mainstream).
The NCSE can also make a local special educational needs officer (SENO) available to the school to discuss the deployment of SNA supports in the school and provide advice as to how to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. NCSE in-school support 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.
