Dublin South West Representative Seán Crowe TD has said changes to Special Needs Assistant (SNA) provision introduced by Education Minister Ruairí Quinn under Circular 03/2014 will inevitably result in more children losing much needed Special Needs Assistant support and has called on him to reverse these cost cutting changes.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“This Minister has brought in changes to how SNAs are allocated to children on the back of the Board SNIP report in order to save money.

“People should be under no illusions – this is a cost saving exercise and is far removed about what is in the best interests of children.

“Under these new rules, 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 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.

“Pupils going in to Junior Infants will be in school by the time they are assessed for SNA support which does not bode well for the child’s wellbeing and will place further pressure on the teacher and in turn the whole class.

“Students with particular behavioural problems will find it especially difficult, to get SNA support. Teachers are now expected to do many of the tasks that SNAs would previously have done, and are literally expected to work miracles in the classroom.

“There have already been severe cuts to SNA numbers, and now instead of cutting it further, the Minister has in the most sleight of hand way just created extra hurdles and hoops that pupils and their families must go through in order to get an SNA.

“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.

“I am calling on the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn to look again at these cost cutting changes and ensure that children who need Special Needs Assistants get the additional support they badly need for education.”