Special Needs Assistants: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-04
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Shane Curley (FF), Cultural and Educational Panel

Táim an-bhuíoch a bheith in ann caint faoin ábhar thar a bheith tábhachtach seo. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the important role of special needs assistants in our education system this evening.
As someone who comes from a teaching background, I have seen at first hand the extraordinary work carried out by SNAs every day in schools across the country. They are a vital part of the school community and play a central role in supporting children with additional needs to fully participate in education. For many pupils, an SNA is not simply an assistant. They are a support, an advocate and often the difference between a child being able to fully access school life or not.
In recent weeks, we have seen significant concern across schools regarding SNA allocations. Principals, teachers and parents contacted public representatives across the country, expressing very real anxiety about potential reductions in support for children with additional needs. I welcome the fact that the situation has now been resolved and that those proposed changes have been reversed. That brings much-needed certainty and reassurance to schools and families. However, we must acknowledge that the situation should not have arisen in the first place. For families of children with additional needs, the prospect of losing support is deeply worrying. For school leaders, uncertainty around allocations creates real operational challenges and, for SNAs themselves, it raises understandable concerns about the stability of the system they work within. What this episode demonstrates is the importance of clear communication, early engagement with schools and a system that is responsive to the realities on the ground.
The SNA scheme is one of the pillars of Ireland's inclusive educational model. There are now nearly 25,000 SNAs within our education system. That reflects a really strong commitment from Government to supporting children with additional needs across the country, but we must ensure that the system continues to evolve in a way that works for schools.
Schools today are supporting pupils with increasingly complex needs, including autism, sensory needs, behavioural challenges and medical requirements. That places significant demands on SNAs, teachers and school leaders alike. It is, therefore, essential that we continue to strengthen the scheme, not only in terms of numbers but in terms of training, supports and clarity around the role. SNAs are highly-skilled professionals who play a critical role in supporting students' care needs, independence and participation in the classroom. We should continue to look at opportunities to expand training and special development so that SNAs feel supported in dealing with the increasingly complex needs that exist in schools today. We must also ensure that the allocation system remains flexible. Schools need the ability to respond when students' needs change during the school year. Above all, we must recognise the team-based approach that exists in our schools. SNAs work alongside teachers, special education teachers and school leaders to support students. That collaboration is one of the strengths of our education system.
Ultimately, our goal must remain clear. Every child, regardless of their needs, deserves the opportunity to fully participate in education and to reach their full potential. SNAs are central in making that happen, so while recent events caused understandable concern, they should also serve as a reminder of just how valued and essential SNAs are within our school communities. As policymakers, we must continue working constructively with schools, SNAs and families to ensure the system supports them properly, because when we support SNAs, we support students and when we support students, we strengthen our entire education system.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-04/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:43+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-04