Our SNA Team

Scoil Íde has 9 SNAs on staff, 7 of whom work full days while one post is shared between two colleagues.

Our SNA Team is comprised of…

Sheila Conran, Marie Moloney, Marie Ryan, Tina O’ Shaughnessy, Laura Mullane, Gillian Boland, Megan Green, Trudy  Tucker & Deirdre O’ Loughlin 

What is a Special Needs Assistant (SNA)?
Special needs assistants (SNAs) play an important role in assisting the teacher to support students with special educational needs who have significant care needs.
They are allocated to the school and work under the direction of the principal/teachers. The SNA usually supports a number of students with care needs in the school. Most students with special educational needs do not have significant care needs and therefore will not need access to a special needs assistant while at school.

Which students can access SNA support?
Students who may be approved access to SNA support are those:

■ who have significant care needs arising from a disability or medical condition;
and
■ whose professional reports indicate that the student’s care needs are so significant that they will need adult assistance in order to be able to attend school and to take part in education.

These are students who require more care support than can be given by the class/subject teacher or by other staff or students in the school or by using assistive technology or by adapting the school building.

Further Information
Further information for parents/guardians can be found in the DES circular on the SNA scheme: DES Circular 0030/2014: Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme to support teachers in meeting the care needs of some children with special educational needs arising
from a disability available on the DES website at: www.education.ie, and in the following NCSE publications:
■ Children with Special Educational Needs: Information Booklet for Parents
■ Choosing a School: A Guide for Parents and Guardiansof Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs
■ NCSE Information Pamphlet Series for Parents of Children with Special Education Needs.

The NCSE publications are available at: www.ncse.ie/information-booklets-pamphlets-2.

The NCSE publishes details of all SNA allocations made to schools each year on their website at: www.ncse.ie.

Useful Contacts
■ Your local SENO may be contacted through the school or from the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie.
■ Department of Education and Skills: www.education.ie.

The following websites and support organisations may also
be of assistance to you:
■ Inclusion Ireland: www.inclusionireland.ie.

■National Parents Council Primary: www.npc.ie.

■Psychological Society of Ireland: www.psihq.ie.

■Special Needs Parents Association: www.specialneedsparents.ie.