94. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a decision will issue regarding an SNA appeal for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44386/26]

This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.

Special education funding will exceed €3 billion in 2026 – up 58% since 2020 and the highest amount ever provided.

The number of special needs assistants (SNAs) allocated to schools nationally has increased by 45% between the 2020/21 school year and the present. By the end of the 2026/27 school year there will be close to 25,000 SNAs in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.

SNAs play a key role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

It is important to note that there have been increases in SNAs in all counties and across all education settings since 2020, including mainstream, special classes and special schools.

As I outlined recently there will be no reductions to special needs assistants for the next school year 2026/27.

All schools reviewed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) or where a school submitted an appeal, since February 2026, have been contacted directly by the NCSE with the outcome by the 4th June.The NCSE have published details of the SNA review process for 2026/27 on their website: www.ncse.ie/school-leaders/guidelines-and-applications/sna-review/. A school should discuss this with their local Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO).