Government announces 40 new SNA posts for local area
An additional 40 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts have been announced for schools in Louth and Meath it has been revealed.
It is hoped the allocation will ehlp to meet the level of assessed demand in the local area.
There will be 19 new SNA posts created in Louth, rising from 374.84 to 393.75 as of September of this year. There will also be a similar increase in County Meath with the number of posts increasing from 407.82 to 427.85. Commenting on the announcement, Local TD Fergus O’Dowd said: ‘ This increase shows the support the Minister is delivering to children with special educational needs, to further their participation and progression within the educational system.’
He said he is also trying to progress the provision of the new St Marys Special School. ‘After recent disappointment on the previous preferred site, the Minister has also confirmed to me that a preferred site to accommodate the St Ita’s and St Mary’s Special Schools has now been identified, and that the Department has recently requested the Council to engage with the landowner in respect of this site,’ he said.
‘ The Minister also reported to me that following the recent receipt of a progress report from the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), on the Comprehensive Assessment of the SNA Scheme currently being undertaken by the NCSE, he has requested the NCSE to establish a working group, comprising relevant stakeholders, to assist in proposing an improved model for providing care supports to provide the best possible outcomes for students with special educational needs who have additional care needs.’