Dublin South West representative Seán Crowe TD has said that the delay in allocating Special Needs Assistant’s until June was a cynical election ploy and a downright dishonest tactic by Education Minister, Ruairí Quinn.

Crowe said that the allocation was normally agreed in May and that the ‘election delay’ is a blatant attempt to put off the inevitable bad news for parents, while creating huge problems for School Principals.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“In the month of May, most schools and parents would have some idea about the allocation of Special Needs Assistant’s.

“In a cynical and dishonest election ploy, the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has decided to put off ‘the bad news’ for parents until June.

“The Minister also intends to make changes, and for a child to qualify for SNA support they will have to be on the more extreme end of needs and have requirements such as assistance with feeding or going to the toilet, or being lifted.

“Each school will also have to supply Personalised Pupil Plans for a student seeking SNA support where the school will have to demonstrate how they will eventually reduce or eliminate SNA support for the child.

“These changes will cause long term damage to many children’s education prospects, and these new rules will inflict incredible and needless hardship upon them.

“The delay in the decision to allocate or retain Special Needs Assistant’s to schools is already causing huge problems for School Principals and the smooth running of schools.

“Inevitably it will mean that these changes will impact worst upon vulnerable children who require Special Needs Assistant’s.”

###