Cutting SNA supports is unacceptable and will hit the children who need help most

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins TD has said it is unacceptable that mainstream schools are being notified of reductions in Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations for next September, warning the move risks undermining inclusion and disadvantaging children with the highest support needs.

Deputy Collins was speaking following reports that dozens of mainstream schools were told last week their SNA allocations are to be reduced after reviews by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), with schools in Cork, Kerry and Kildare among those affected. Trade union Fórsa has said the situation is causing serious concern across the sector, with its head of education, Andy Pike, describing the proposed cuts as another example of broken promises in special education, and indicating that letters issued last week may include reductions in a significant number of cases.

“At the centre of every decision like this is a child,” Deputy Collins said. “It is simply not acceptable that supports are being reduced in mainstream schools at a time when families, staff and school leaders are already under intense strain. Children who require the most support should be afforded every opportunity of advancement and equal educational achievement. We should be building capacity, not pulling it back.”

Deputy Collins said he is particularly concerned that schools are being left to absorb the impact of these decisions with limited clarity about the wider policy direction, despite growing public anxiety. An online petition highlighting what it describes as an “alarming cull” of SNAs has attracted more than 14,000 signatures.

“Parents are contacting public representatives because they are frightened about what this means for their child’s day-to-day schooling,” he said. “If the Government believes this is justified, then the Minister must explain it clearly, in detail, and with full transparency about the consequences for children in real classrooms.”

Deputy Collins also pointed to separate reports that education authorities have reversed a decision which had blocked some families from accessing the paperwork required to apply for a special educational school place if they applied after an earlier deadline. He said that, taken together, these issues point to a system that is creating uncertainty for families.

“We are talking about children with additional needs and parents trying to secure appropriate placements and supports. They should not be navigating confusion and shifting deadlines on top of everything else,” he said.

Deputy Collins called on Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton to provide immediate clarity on the scale of the reductions, the rationale behind them, and what measures will be put in place to ensure children with care needs are not left without the support required to participate fully in school.

“This is about fairness and basic decency,” he said. “If we are serious about inclusion, then we have to resource it properly.”