Government blinks after SNA cuts after backlash
Government blinks after SNA cuts after backlash - The Labour Party
Labour’s education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has slammed Government following the u-turn from the Minister for Education on review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations following widespread backlash.
Deputy Kenny said:
“This pause in the review of SNA allocations did not happen because the Government suddenly realised it was wrong. It happened because parents, school staff, unions and opposition voices raised the alarm and refused to accept cuts being railroaded through. It should never have been allowed to reach this point. This was entirely avoidable.
“The timing of this pause speaks volumes. Conveniently, it lands just before Leaders Questions, after the political heat became impossible to ignore. That tells its own story. This Government repeatedly engages in short term, reactive thinking, scrambling to manage headlines rather than focusing on the real world impact of its decisions.
“What families want now is not spin or vague assurances. They want certainty. They want to know that children who need support will receive it, that schools can plan for September, and that SNAs will not face annual cycles of stress and insecurity. That means listening to those on the ground before decisions are made, not after protests erupt.
“At the centre of every single one of these decisions is a child. That should always be the fundamental thought when decisions about educational supports are made, yet that reality appears to have been completely lost here. SNAs play a critical role in helping children participate in school life, supporting learning, communication, and basic day to day needs. When those supports are taken away, it is children who pay the price.
“This plan needs to be scrapped, not “paused” as the Minister has suggested. We need to end the brinkmanship, end the uncertainty, and guarantee that no child loses the support they need because of political misjudgement. ”