Following ten days of uncertainty around the review of special needs assistant (SNA) provision in mainstream schools, an agreement was reached with Government on Monday night. Following the talks, it was confirmed there will be no reductions to SNAs for the next school year. 

Two weeks ago, schools across the country began to receive notification from the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) that their SNA allocation would be reduced. Over a weeklong period SNAs in over 200 schools were told their jobs could be in jeopardy. 

The announcement of cuts was met with widespread condemnation and public outcry. As school communities became aware of the proposed reductions a broad-based coalition came together, led by SNAS, parents and teachers, calling for an immediate end to the cuts and for proper allocation of resources.  

The NCSE review strictly applied the 2014 circular governing the SNA role, which links allocation to students’ “primary physical care needs” and does not reflect the full range of learning, emotional regulation and neurodivergent needs now present in mainstream classrooms.  

Fórsa has consistently argued that the work of SNAs goes far beyond what is reflected in the current, outdated circular, and that SNAs are vital to supporting students’ learning and wellbeing. In mainstream schools, SNAs play a crucial role in ensuring children can reach their full potential. 

Earlier this week, speaking at a briefing for TDs and Senators, Fórsa official Shane Lambert called out the Department’s approach to engagement over the past two years, saying at times it was no more than a box ticking exercise. He said: “The children of this State, and the parents of children with additional needs, deserve better -they deserve an inclusive education system.”  

Following sustained opposition, and extensive planning for nationwide protests, Government first announced a pause to the review late last week, and then a full reversal of proposed reductions on Monday night. 

Head of education Andy Pike said: “We told the Ministers on Monday morning that unless they cancelled the review, we would treat the review as a collective redundancy situation. If you send people a letter saying you don’t have a job from September, it’s a dismissal.” 

“We’ve been looking for a redeployment scheme for a decade, SNAs and schools need to know how those arrangements will work, before any review takes place. We were almost finished negotiating the scheme, and then this happened, without warning. 

“Enacting the review without an operational redeployment scheme would have resulted in between 200 to 500 compulsory redundancies. That means statutory legislation for collective redundancies would have had to come into operation.” 

Andy went on to say that the current situation was further evidence that the Government has failed to prioritise proper planning and resourcing for SNAs and special education as a whole for too long.  

He said: “19million euro of additional funding was found overnight to solve this crisis, that’s welcome but let’s be clear it is a sticking plaster. What is needed now is real engagement and resourcing, and proper planning for the future of special education in mainstream classes.” 

Looking ahead Andy said: “Our members have always been clear about their demands: the end to 72 hours, an end to exploitation, the end to June working, a proper qualification introduced to raise the standing of the profession, increased professionalisation, and improved training and development. The days of discussing all this behind closed doors are now over, but the fight continues.

“The coalition that has come together to defend SNAs will now need to chart a course of action now, at a time when trust couldn’t be weaker between SNAs and the Department.” 

“We will continue to fight for fairness and respect for SNAs, for recognition of the essential role SNAs play in education and for better resourcing of inclusive education.” 

On Wednesday, from Market Square in Buncrana to Market Cross in Killarney, grassroots protests took place nationwide, with the largest gathering taking outside Leinster House in Dublin. Watch back our video report here.

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