86. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is concerned at decisions made for SNA allocations which are not meeting need in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52568/26]

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.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on care support for children and young people with special educational needs in our schools, including the allocation of special needs assistant (SNA) support to schools.

They are also responsible for managing and processing requests from schools for a review of their SNA allocations.

I fully understand having seen first-hand the central role SNAs play in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools.

The number of special needs assistants (SNAs) allocated to schools nationally has increased by 45% between the 2020/21 school year and the present. Funding for 3,000 additional SNAs is being provided to bring the total number of SNAs to over 26,000 in 2026 and into 2027.

The NCSE has responsibility for ensuring that all additional SNA posts funded through Budget 2026 are allocated to mainstream, special classes and special schools to meet the care needs in these sectors.

In all cases any school who believe that they have insufficient SNA resources to support the needs of their pupils should contact the NCSE for a SNA review. On completion of a SNA review if it identifies additional resources are required, they will be provided.

My Department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality where every child and young person feels valued and actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.