Fórsa will welcome Minister for Education Helen McEntee TD, and Minister of State Michael Moynihan TD, as guest speakers to address delegates at the union's education divisional conference, which takes place next week, from 23rd to 25th April, at the Galway Bay Hotel. 

Fórsa represents more than 18,000 education workers including Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), school secretaries and caretakers, school completion officers, and administrative staff in Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and the technological universities. 

Most Fórsa delegates will be attending during their Easter school closures, and the conference is expected to host lively and engaging debates. 

Fórsa’s head of education Andy Pike said delegates will be keen to hear what the ministers will have to say: “It’s a fraught and uncertain time in global politics, but the daily challenge of delivering high quality education continues.  

“This is a welcome opportunity for delegates to gain an insight into how the Government will develop and build the education sector during its term of office, and the presence of both ministers reflects the importance of Fórsa members as stakeholders in our education system,” he said.  

Minister McEntee is due to address delegates on Thursday morning, 24th April at 10.20am. 

The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth, with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, Michael Moynihan TD, will address delegates on Friday morning, 25th April at 10am. 

The conference will feature debates, conference motions and expert panel discussions. Highlights include:  

• Motions and debate on the ongoing Fórsa campaign to secure pension provision for school secretaries and caretakers.
  
  
• Motions and debate on access to school places for students with additional needs. 
  
  
• The allocation of SNAs, negotiations on a new SNA contract and the establishment of a redeployment scheme for SNAs. 
  
  
• Assault leave and injuries at work: Fórsa will host an expert panel, chaired by Jen Cummins TD, to explore the results of a national survey of Fórsa members on this issue.
  
  
• The future of the School Completion Programme (SCP): Research published last month by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has found there has been a drop in school engagement and well-being since before the Covid pandemic, with higher rates of non-­attendance in disadvantaged areas, highlighting the need for a fully-funded and integrated SCP, which has not yet fully recovered from austerity-era funding cuts almost 16 years ago. 
  
  
• Refugee students: An expert panel, including primary and post primary students, will discuss the challenges facing refugee students within our education system and the experience of their parents and guardians. 
  
  
• The event will open with a performance by over 20 students with additional needs who are attending the conference with their parents. 

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