Both the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the Department of Education have informed schools that there will be no changes to the existing SNA allocation arrangements.  

New guidelines for SNA allocation reviews were issued last week by the NCSE which led to ambiguity and confusion around allocation arrangements. On Wednesday 24th September Fórsa raised the need for precision at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth and secured a commitment that clarity would be provided. 

Head of Education Andy Pike said: “It is very welcome that both the NCSE and the Department have now confirmed that there are no changes to the existing criteria for allocating SNAs to schools and that it is not the intention to remove SNAs from mainstream classes to staff new special classes.” 

In a letter issued on Thursday afternoon the Department of Education stated that: “A school can apply to the NCSE at any time during the school year, as in previous years, for a review where emerging or new care needs arise. An emerging care need would be changing care needs in their existing student enrolment, newly identified care need or a new enrolment with care needs.”   

The letter makes clear that SNAs will not be moved from mainstream classes to provide staff for new special classes, and that the allocation of SNAs to mainstream classes will be assessed separately from the established model for special classes.  

Separately, the NCSE has informed schools that: “Where an emerging requirement for further SNA support arises outside this time the school can contact their NCSE special education needs organiser (SENO) as in previous years, to discuss the need for a SNA review.” 

The letter also clearly stated that the NCSE guidelines issued last week relate solely to SNA allocation reviews and there is no change to the standard allocation process for resourcing mainstream or special classes in mainstream schools, underlining that the two posts assigned to each special class for autistic learners, remains the baseline SNA allocation for special classes in mainstream schools. It also confirmed that “any school which has a special class, or which is opening a new special class, will be allocated the baseline number of SNAs according to class category and this will not be reduced.” 

It is now clear that schools can still apply for additional SNA posts after the 14th of October. The window for reviews of SNA allocations was brought forward to ensure that SNAs receive notification of their school allocations at the same time as SET allocations are announced.  

Andy said: “Fórsa strongly supports this change which will ensure that our members are informed about SNA numbers as early as possible. The practice of leaving SNAs to wait until June to find out the outcome of the allocation process has to stop; allocations must be made much sooner.” 

Andy went on to thank members for contacting officers on this issue, saying: “Members can be assured that the subsequent clarifications mean that arrangements stay as they are and there are no changes to the way in which the NCSE asses the need for SNA posts in mainstream classes.” 

“The role of the SNA is not changed in any way as the existing Circular 0030/2014 still applies. Work is underway to agree a new Circular which will accurately reflect the scope of the SNA role in 2025 which has expanded considerably over the last 20 years. As soon as we have more information for members on this we will update you.” 

Read more about Fórsa’s address to the Joint Oireachtas Education and Youth Committee here. 

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