433. Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers and special needs assistants employed in primary and post-primary schools in the 2010-11 school year and in the 2015-16 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2217/16]

I wish to advise the Deputy that the number of Special Needs Assistants allocated to primary and post-primary schools for the 2010/11 school year was 10,543 as at May 2011. In 2015, 11,940 SNAs were available for allocation to primary and secondary schools, of which 11,820 were initially allocated in September 2015.

The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data relating to schools, including details of teacher numbers for the 2010/11 school year which can be accessed through the following link: http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Key-Statistics-2010-2011.pdf

The most recent published information for teacher numbers relates to the 2014/15 school year and this can be accessed through the following link: http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Key-Statistics/Key-Statistics-2014-2015.pdf.

Data for the current 2015/16 school year, including teacher numbers, will be published when the national school annual census has been processed later in the current school year.