€13m saved by not filling school SNA posts

Up to €13m has been saved by the Department of Education as almost 300 special needs assistants (SNAs) were not allocated to schools.

Although as many as 10,575 SNAs, who provide support for children with extra demands at school, were budgeted to be hired, just over 10,300 were actually sanctioned this month.

The approval of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is required for a school to hire an SNA, subject to assessment by its staff.