Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has said that it is downright cruel that the government has sent letters to school informing them that essential supports for pupils with additional needs are to be reduced or withdrawn, adding that it is one of the cruellest cuts you can make when the country is running a budget surplus.

Teachta Crowe said:

“The National Council for Special Education has sent letters to school right across the state informing them of cuts to badly needed support staff for some of our most vulnerable children.

“It is downright cruel that the government would cut the number of SNAs and hours that children have access to. For many children, the progress they have made is directly linked to the consistency, expertise and dedication of their SNA. Removing that support without justification is deeply distressing for families.

“The decision to cut the number of SNAs or hours must always be the last resort and based clearly on clinical advice and children’s needs. Not because of a rigid application of criteria that reduce vulnerable children to numbers on a spreadsheet. This box-ticking approach undermines the principles of inclusive education.

“This also has a significant impact on SNAs themselves, many of whom are long-serving staff now facing redundancy or reappointment in a different community. These are dedicated professionals who form the backbone of inclusive education. At a time when overall demand for support is increasing, it makes no sense to destabilise schools and let experienced SNAs go, only to recruit again later.

“I am calling on the NCSE to urgently review and reverse the cuts where no clear change in need has occurred. Surely, these are one of the cruellest cuts you can make when the country is running a budget surplus.”