(Ireland) 32% increase in SPED aides is not enough as special schools and classes double

April 22, 2025, Meath Chronicle: ‘It’s not just a matter of resources, it’s a matter of basic rights and dignity’

https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2025/04/22/its-not-just-a-matter-of-resources-its-a-matter-of-basic-rights-and-dignity/# 

The mother of a young Stamullen girl whose SNA access was withdrawn with no warning is calling on the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Department of Education to reverse the decision saying the school has been “left to play god” with the needs of children.

Fifteen students in St Patrick's NS had their SNA support stopped on Friday 4th April last without any consultation with parents as a result of 34 children accessing three full-time SNAs and one junior-hours SNA at the school of over 500 children.

The parents are calling on the authorities to reinstate access to SNA support under the ESPEN (Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs) Act of 2004.

The act states: “People with special educational needs are educated in an inclusive environment, as far as possible. People with special educational needs have the same right to access and benefit from education as children who don’t have these needs.”

Six parents, including Caroline Mills whose 10 year- old daughter Mila has had her SNA abruptly stopped, have written an open letter outlining the impact of this decision on the children.

The parents say the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the statutory body established by the Department of Education to deliver education services to people with special educational needs, had passed its deadline for an SNA review for this year.

The NCSE states that its SNA reviews are carried out from 2nd September 2024 to 1st March 2025 for the current academic year.

In their letter parents ask: “Why is there a review taking place for the already allocated 2024/25 SNA support to our children? This review should have taken place before March 1st 2025. If this review is for SNA support for the academic year of 2025/26 then our children should not be affected with immediate withdrawal of SNA support and the SENO (Special Education Needs Organiser) is in no position to advise a review of said SNA timetable. The children's support plans were drawn up and agreed on in February 2025. No care or support needs have changed since this date.

“The guidelines go on further to say “The NCSE will review the overall primary care needs of students enrolled for the 2024/25 year and the totality of resources available to the school”.

This is grossly inaccurate when it comes to St Patrick's National School, we have had between 2 and 3.5 SNAs in the school from as far back as 2013 and probably longer, despite the continuous applications from St Patricks NS. The school has grown in numbers and additional needs in those years and year after year it has been refused adequate support.

It goes on to say that the school and SENO are not qualified, professional psychologists and therefore cannot minimise the primary care needs diagnosed by a professional child psychologist.

Caroline says her daughter Mila has been suffering from anxiety since her SNA access has been withdrawn.

“Essentially what the SENO is doing is forcing the school into playing god with our children. It has landed on them as to how to split these SNA hours because there is not enough SNAs in our school, there never has been and for whatever reason when the school has applied they just get a no.”

Outlining the importance of the SNA support to Mila, a fourth class student who was diagnosed with ASD through a private assessment during pre-school, Caroline said: “The SNA will take Mila out of the classroom when she is over stimulated and help to regulate her.

They might give her one on one time in a small group, they might go to the sensory room, she may bring them to assist with some life skills so then Mila can sit down and do her work.

“If she doesn't get the breaks, it has a direct impact on her learning because she can't focus.

“This has really impacted her knowing she doesn't have that support anymore and she has been reluctant to go into school.

“The biggest fear is school refusal. Mila and all of the children have been badly let down by the system and will suffer if this decision is not reversed.”

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Youth, Darren O'Rourke TD said the move is very unfair and is symptomatic of wider concerns in relation to SNA resourcing and allocations. He said, despite the fact Special Education Minister Michael Moynihan said there has been no change in policy, it is clear there is both a change in interpretation and implementation of policy.

“The news that well-established SNA support was to be withdrawn from 15 students at St. Patrick's NS came at very short notice and was a real shock.

“SNAs provide essential, often life-changing support to children with additional needs, enabling them to access education in a safe and inclusive environment. Removing this support without proper consultation, assessment, or transition plans is unacceptable and deeply unfair. These children deserve better.

“This week, I contacted both the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Minister Helen McEntee about this case, demanding answers and immediate action. In the Dáil, on Stamullen and other cases, Special Education Minister Michael Moynihan told my colleague Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, “there is absolutely no policy change in relation to SNAs”.

However, the sudden withdrawal of SNAs at Stamullen tells a different story. So too does the failure to deliver on previous commitments for extra SNA support at Marymount National School in Drogheda - due to the SNA 'cap'.

These are two examples, in close proximity to each other, but there are numerous others.

“If this is not a change in policy, it is certainly a change in how the policy is being interpreted and implemented, and it is brutally unfair for these children.

“I am calling on the NCSE and the Department of Education to reverse this decision immediately and reinstate the SNA supports to these children at Stamullen. The well-being and education of these students must come first.

“This is not just a matter of resources - it’s a matter of basic rights and dignity. The government cannot stand over such a reckless move.”

A Department of Education spokesperson said that they don't comment on allocations to individual schools but would like to reassure parents and school staff that the NCSE remains available to assist and support any school with their special education resource allocations as required. They added:

"The Department of Education recognises that SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools. They help ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

"The number of SNAs available for allocation has continued to increase annually resulting in a significant increase in the number of SNAs posts employed by schools. Budget 2025 provided for an additional 1,600 SNAs, the largest number ever allocated, which will bring to 23,000 the number of SNAs in our schools. This is a 32% increase on SNA supports since 2020.

"SNAs are a key support in mainstream schools and in special schools and classes which have doubled in number in recent years. There are also 16 new special schools in the last five years bringing to 31,000 the number of specialist places available for September 2025. The NCSE manages the allocation of the SNAs to schools and it is the responsibility of the NCSE to ensure that these resources are allocated to the children with the greatest level of need. . . .