Special Educational Needs
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-12
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Eileen Lynch (FG), Agricultural Panel

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, for being here with us this morning. I am seeking an urgent update from the Minister for education on the ongoing National Council for Special Education, NCSE, review of the special needs assistant, SNA, scheme. I refer in particular to the very real and immediate consequences the review is having on schools, children and teachers across the country.
In recent weeks, schools across my constituency of Cork North-West have been informed of significant reductions in SNA allocations arising from this review, including the schools in Kilmurry, Ballyhass and Bweeng, and in my own parish of Aghabullogue, to name a few. These decisions are being communicated to schools without clarity or transparency, and without any meaningful engagement with parents or staff. Aghabullogue National School has been notified that it is to lose one of its two SNAs, while Bweeng National School has been informed it will lose two SNAs. I have been inundated with calls and emails from parents and teachers who are incredibly concerned about this, and what it will mean in reality to remove these front-line supports.
As we all know, SNAs are not an extra or a luxury. They are essential to the safe, inclusive and effective functioning of many classrooms. Removing SNA support does not just affect the individual child. It affects the entire classroom because it affects the learning environment, the teacher's ability to teach and the well-being of every other pupil in the classroom. Teachers are telling me that without adequate SNA support, they will be asked to manage increasingly complex needs alone, while still delivering the curriculum to a full class. It is not fair or sustainable. It places teachers under enormous strain and, ultimately, undermines the quality of education for all children because this greater need will be placed on teachers where SNAs had been playing a role.
What I find particularly concerning are the strict criteria being applied by the SENOs under this review. Schools are basically being told that SNA support is now effectively reserved only for children assessed as having level 3 needs, such as toileting requirements, acute medical conditions or profound physical disabilities. This approach fails to recognise the reality of need in our classrooms today. Many children with autism, sensory processing difficulties, behavioural or emotional regulation challenges or significant learning needs may not meet this narrow definition. Nonetheless, they require consistent SNA support in order to allow them to access education in a fair manner. Early intervention in these cases is key, as we know. Reducing supports at primary level risks greater challenges further down the line and runs completely counter to our stated commitment to inclusive education.
Parents and teachers are anxious. There is a lack of clear communication from the Department about how decisions are being made and what the long-term vision for the SNA scheme actually is. Today, I am seeking clarity on the current status and timeline of the NCSE review of the SNA scheme, and an answer as to why so many children with significant needs are now deemed ineligible. Why are kids who, this time last year, were eligible for an SNA now suddenly ineligible? In the vast majority of circumstances, their needs have not changed. Why is their support being taken away? What reassurance can I, as a public representative, give to schools like Aghabullogue and Bweeng, and the many schools across the country that are affected by this, that the decision can be reviewed and revisited, with the potential for reinstatement?
We all agree that SNAs play a vital role in our education system, and nobody is disputing that. This review cannot result in a narrowing of support that will leave vulnerable children behind. I urge the Minister to listen to schools, parents and teachers, and ensure that any reform strengthens inclusive education.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:37+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-12