Protests are taking place at locations across the country this evening to highlight the ongoing concerns of parents, schools and Special Needs Assistants following controversy over the last week around SNA allocations for schools.
The demonstrations were called before the Government moved late Monday evening to reverse the planned changes.
The Government last week paused a review and reallocation of SNAs for the coming school year after it caused concern and outrage among parents, teachers and SNAs.
The number of SNAs at around 580 schools were reviewed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), and a third were told that the number of SNAs at their school would be reduced from September. Two thirds were deemed to need more SNAs or to keep their current allocation as it was.
At Monday night’s meeting, the Government agreed not to reduce the number of SNAs at any schools from September, but in schools where the NCSE said more SNAs were needed, they will be allocated.
Once a revised circular, a redeployment scheme and a workforce development plan for SNAs are published, the NCSE will again review SNA allocations at schools for the 27/28 academic year.
This evening, several hundred people have gathered to protest outside the Dáil.
Demonstrations are also taking place in Waterford where around 50 people gathered outside the constituency office of Fine Gael TD John Cummins, as well as in Galway, Cork and elsewhere.
In Galway, around 100 people have gathered outside the constituency office of the Minster for Education to seek assurances about the provision of SNAs.
Protesters seen outside Hildegarde Naughton’s office this evening
Parents, teachers and SNAs from Clare, Galway and Offaly are taking part in the demonstration outside the office of Hildegarde Naughton.
They’ve been joined by several candidates who intend to contest the forthcoming bye election in Galway West.
The protest has been organised by the Fórsa trade union.
Secondary school teacher, Emma O’Connell, from Kilrush in Co Clare said the group wanted any proposed cuts to the provision of services in primary and secondary schools to be reversed.
She said she knew firsthand about the invaluable work carried out by SNAs in classrooms around the country.
Ms O’Connell said the protesters wanted a 2014 Department of Education circular to be rewritten to include all care needs.
Over 200 protesters gathered in Cork
She said the demonstration was taking place this evening, as parents and teachers were fearful that any reversal of Government proposal would be temporary.
“We don’t want to be back here in 12 months’ time. This needs to be fixed once and for all,” she said.
There’s widespread support for the demonstration with many passersby applauding and beeping horns as they pass the gathering in the Woodquay area of the city.
‘A pause is not enough’ was the cry from over 200 protestors gathered outside Cork City Hall.
Those gathered included parents, SNAs, teachers and cross-party politicians from Labour, Sinn Féin and Social Democrats who heard speakers call for a system that puts children, their parents and the school communities first.
Micheál Martin told the Dáil no memo on the SNA review came before the Government to be signed
Govt accused of letting down special needs assistants
Earlier the Government was accused of letting down Special Needs Assistants and of pitting one child’s needs against another.
Speaking during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil, Labour Spokesperson on Education and Youth Eoghan Kenny asked the Taoiseach to clarify what he meant when he said yesterday that the Government had not signed off on the review of how SNAs are allocated at schools.
Mr Kenny said this was either a “clear indication” that the Taoiseach had no faith in the policy his Government created or had a realisation that those working in schools “might actually be right”.
He said: “You and your government colleagues are doing your best to spin this as a win. It’s another case of ‘announce, backlash, retreat and re-announce’.”
In response, the Taoiseach said the Government’s policy has to been to increase investment in special needs education and increase the number of SNAs.
“The story is one of expansion and you should acknowledge that,” he said.
Mr Martin said the reason the Government had not signed off on the review was because no memo came before it.
“There was no memo came before Government saying we were going to cut SNAs in individual schools or specific schools. No memo came to Government, none, didn’t. That’s a fact,” he told the Dáil.
Additional reporting PA