The inaugural SNA Appreciation Day, spearheaded by Fórsa’s four SNA branches, has been hailed as a huge success. What began as a simple idea in a social media chat—where a member questioned why there was a Teacher Appreciation Day but nothing that recognized the role of special needs assistants—has blossomed into a national conversation about how society views and treats these essential workers. Watch our highlights video here, or below.

The day clearly struck a chord, with hundreds of photos of activities flooding social media, and the associated hashtag #ThankOurSNAs going viral and trending. 
 

Scoil Mhaodhoig Poulfur, Wexford

Fórsa General Secretary, Kevin Callinan, spent the morning at St. Joseph’s School in Tallaght, where he met with staff and said:  
 
“Firstly, we're so pleased that SNAs are part of our union. You can't imagine just how happy we are. When we were setting up the Education Division, many years ago, I was at a meeting of SNAs, and I'll never forget it. One of your colleagues stood up and said, ‘Kevin, it's not about money. It's about respect.’ And I listened to that and I'm so proud of the fact that together over the last two years, we've made such positive steps forward.”

He continued “We're not fully there yet. Today is about building on the first ever Appreciation Day. We had almost 11,000 applications for the prizes. The response is beyond anything we expected and rightly so, it is only right we thank our SNAs.” 
 

Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana

Casa Caterina is a special school in Cabra nestled away behind a flank of trees on the old Dominican Sister's campus.   Autumn leaves falling and torrents of rain did little to dampen school spirits as news broke that they were one of the winning schools.  North Dublin North Leinster (NDNL) SNA branch members Maria Burke and Christina Scott arrived to present a prize to the busy SNAs on a short break between classes. 
 
Christina, vice-chair of the NDNL SNA Branch, expressed the importance of individual SNA’s feeling pride in themselves, no matter what else was going down in their schools: “They should appreciate themselves and be very proud of the jobs that they do within their schools.” 

Scoil Bernadette, Montenotte

Casa Caterina is a special school for children with either a diagnosis of severe emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) or a diagnosis of autism. The school has various facilities to support children’s growth and development, including sensory areas both inside and outside. It also hosts a nurture room, staffed by a dedicated and trained team, offering short-term focused interventions to address non-cognitive issues that may block learning. 
 
Principal Emma Kilcommins beamed as she proudly shared that the school has 17 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). Vice Principal Lorna Cahill, spoke passionately about the incredible role they play in the school: 
 
"We have 17 SNAs, and they are the backbone of our school. They are amazing—dedicated, involved, and incredibly supportive of the children, day in and day out. We are so grateful to have such skilled professionals. It's especially important for special schools like ours, where teaching staff can feel isolated. Having a day dedicated to recognizing the amazing work they do, both here and nationwide, is essential." 

Ardfinnan National School, Clonmel 

Principal Kilcommins echoed this sentiment with enthusiasm: 
 
"It’s about time they’re recognized and celebrated for the professionals they are. The national recognition through a professional program is so important because SNAs are absolutely vital, skilled, and professional individuals." 
 
Noreen O’Mahony, chair of the Education division of Fórsa had a long day meeting members to celebrate their work and activities. Starting in Limerick and then heading to Loughrea before finishing up at Bennekerry National School in Carlow, where she arrived wielding congratulatory balloons and boxes of donuts to mark the occasion at a celebration in the staff room. 
 
Bennekerry NS is a co-educational primary school is located five kilometres east of Carlow town and was also one of the competition winners. It has 425 pupils and a staff of 23 teachers. 

Muslim National School, Clonskeagh

Julie Fitzmaurice, the principal in Carlow, shared: “We’re exceptionally lucky because of the work of our SNAs and the expertise that they have, around the school, for the most vulnerable learners and the most vulnerable children, I think as a staff, we really appreciate them, and the parents really appreciate them. School wouldn't be the same without them. So, I want to really to thank them.” 
  
Reflecting on SNA Appreciation Day, Noreen said: “I think SNAs should be very proud of themselves. We're a cohort of professionals and we need to see ourselves as that. It’s not a role that you just fall into, it’s something people seek out to do. We are an integral part of the school community. To continue to build that recognition even from the Department of Education, we're doing contract review talks at the moment.” 

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