Fórsa this week welcomed the Budget announcement of funding for an additional 1,165 SNAs. But the union said proposed changes to the way SNAs are deployed could mean limited improvements in services to children with special educational needs.

The head of Fórsa’s Education Division, Andy Pike, said: “Right now, every SNA is allocated to a specific child, which means they can provided the stable and dedicated help that children with special educational needs require.

“But the education department is now proposing to break the link between SNAs and individual students, and make SNAs a ‘whole-of-school resource.’ While the announcement of a significant number of new staff is welcome, Fórsa believes the benefit to the most vulnerable will be substantially diminished if this change goes ahead.”

Fórsa has raised the issue with the Department of Education and Skills and will continue to seek assurances that SNAs are deployed in ways that maximise services to children with special educational needs.

The additional allocation will bring the total number of SNAs in all settings to around 19,000.

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