Special Needs Assistants (SNA’s) are appointed by Boards of Management in accordance with the annual staffing allocation of the Department of Education and Science, as informed by the advice of the SENO/NCSE. Their duties involve tasks of a non-teaching nature to assist pupils with assessed educational / physical / behavioural needs with their participation in school. SNA’s are employed on an annual fixed term contract.

Approved Special Needs Assistants are related to the special needs of one or more pupils in respect of whom the posts are sanctioned and the allocation is renewed annually by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The employment of a Special Needs Assistant may be terminated by a reduction in allocation or through the ‘special needs’ pupil(s) ceasing to attend the school. It is important that Boards of Management have adopted selection criteria for such redundancies when they occur.

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