Departmental Circulars
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-28
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Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire

It is coming out over the coming number of weeks. That is good. It happened because the Government got it so badly wrong. There were massive protests and there was fear and anxiety but it is good that we have moved on. The question is really whether it will be maximalist in terms of the need to include children and genuinely recognise the role of the SNAs and how it has evolved, and genuinely recognise what inclusion means. It is not just physical presence in the school. It is emotional well-being, genuine support and communication. Just because a child is doing well does not necessarily mean an SNA has to be taken out and moved somewhere else because a child who might need that support to continue flourishing could regress because they do not have SNA support. All of this was reflected in the alternative proposed circular put forward by parents' groups. Obviously, teachers have to have input and have to teach. However, this has to be maximalist in terms of inclusion and genuinely recognise the importance and role of SNAs. Will it be?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-28