Update: SNAs & Teachers in Kildare, 1st July 2015

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of special needs
teachers currently available throughout County Kildare in primary level and
second level sectors; the extent to which this may be augmented on foot of
already documented requirements as set out by the various local school
authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of special needs
assistants currently available at primary and second level throughout County
Kildare; the extent to which it is expected to augment these numbers in line
with submitted requests from school authorities in the course of the next 12
months; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
-Bernard J. Durkan.

I propose to take questions 582 and 583 together.

There are now more additional teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs)
supporting children with special educational needs in our schools than at any
time previously.

The NCSE allocated 6,454 resource teacher posts to schools for September 2015,
which is an increase of 554 posts – or 9.4% – since September 2014. Details of
resource teaching allocations to schools is available on the NCSE website on a
county by county basis at www.ncse.ie.

An additional 149 special classes will open in September which brings to over
1,000, the number of special classes in mainstream schools and represents a 17%
increase over the 2014/15 number of special classes. Details of special class
teachers and special school allocations for 2015/16 is available on the NCSE
website at www.ncse.ie.

In addition, 11,330 SNA posts, an increase of 365 posts, or over 3%, are
available to the NCSE to allocate to the end of 2015.

This is the highest level of special needs teachers and SNA support that we
have ever had, and will ensure that children with special educational needs can
continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner appropriate
to their needs.

Details of the number of SNA and Resource Teachers which have been allocated to
each school are published on a per County basis on the NCSE website
www.ncse.ie, which provides details of all of the SNA and Resource Teacher
allocations which have been made to each school in County Kildare by the NCSE.

Details of the 2014/15 and 2015/16 school year Resource Teaching allocations
have been published.

This year, the NCSE requested all schools to submit applications for SNA
support by mid March 2015. Following this deadline each application had to be
assessed by the NCSE before they were in a position to advise the Minister on
the quantum of SNAs that would need to be allocated to schools for the coming
school year. The final advice on this was received last week, and the Minister
will be seeking to confirm allocations to schools over the next ten days.
Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16 will be available on the NCSE
website on completion of this process.