Schools still left in limbo over SNA provision
Schools still left in limbo over SNA provision - The Labour Party
- Tánaiste backs unchanged SNA allocation criteria
Labour education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD, speaking at Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil today, criticised this Government following the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Special Needs Assistant provision this week, and called for immediate clarity on the pause announced by Government.
Deputy Kenny said:
“Children with additional needs rely every day on the support of Special Needs Assistants to access education, participate in school life and reach their full potential. Families are already struggling to navigate a system where more than 20,000 children are waiting on an Assessment of Need, and where access to appropriate special classes remains limited in many parts of the country. Against that backdrop, this Government has moved to abruptly remove SNA supports from mainstream classrooms for some children based on revised criteria developed within the Department of Education.
“This approach is deeply damaging. Removing SNAs from mainstream environments destabilises children who depend on that support to remain in school and to learn alongside their peers. While this Government points to headline increases in overall SNA numbers, those figures are meaningless to a child who may lose access to the support they rely on from one academic year to the next because they no longer meet a rigid administrative threshold.
“An Tánaiste’s response in the Dáil today was deeply disappointing. He confirmed that he does not believe the criteria for SNA allocation should change, yet this fails to reflect the reality of the role SNAs play in our classrooms and the extent to which children depend on their support to fully participate in education. While acknowledging that needs can change as children progress through school, he failed to address how a reduction in provision could be credibly undertaken at a time when thousands of children are still awaiting formal assessments under the Disability Act 2005. No clear timelines were provided on when the announced pause will be lifted, whether schools will lose SNAs for the coming academic year, or how a workforce plan for redeployment will be managed.
“Labour is calling on this Government to reverse any decisions that would remove SNA supports from children currently accessing them, and to engage with schools, families and SNAs on a phased and transparent process for workforce planning that reflects real levels of need. Children deserve consistency in their supports and certainty in their education. The Government must act now.”