Beidh an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Dooley, i nGaillimh Dé hAoine. Beidh sé ag bualadh agus ag déileáil leis na grúpaí áirithe ann. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil daoine imníoch faoin cheist seo. Gan amhras, tá an reachtaíocht agus an dlí ann. Tá fonn orainn cearta chosmhuintir na háite agus na dúiche sin a chosaint chomh fada agus is féidir linn. Caithfidh muid é a dhéanamh i gceart, áfach. Is áis nádúrtha tábhachtach í an fheamainn. Caithfidh muid éagsúlacht na háite a chur san áireamh, mar aon leis na nithe eile ar gh…

I acknowledge the concerns raised in respect of the schools Deputy identified regarding the outcome of the review of their schools and those that perhaps did not get the additional SNAs that they sought and so forth. The Ministers will engage with the NCSE in the context of those schools where it was indicated that there would be a reduction. We want to clarify this issue as quickly as we can. There will be a time lag because we paused the process in order to provide opportunities to re-engage on the issue, and for…

I agree with the Deputy. There was an internal review by the National Ambulance Service in 2024. It apparently identified potential benefit-in-kind tax liabilities for NAS staff using NAS response vehicles to travel to and from work and the HSE sought a ruling from the Revenue Commissioners on the matter. In the interim, it took the decision to inform staff that there could be an issue, which has led to the result of the Deputy outlined. I am informed that the Revenue Commissioners responded to the HSE with a poten…

We will proceed with the increase in the number of SNAs for the school year commencing September 2026. We have budgeted for additional numbers and that will not stop. We will continue to increase the number of SNAs. Our concern will always be to prioritise the needs of parents and children to enable their full participation in school. Special needs assistants are a key part of that.

Clearly, the Deputy was not at a nightclub last night. He is full of the joys of spring, despite the rain and all the rest. Deputy O'Gorman raised a similar issue yesterday. I undertook to speak to the Minister for justice in this regard. Maybe I should have left him take the question. There is a broader issue. Clearly, we will discuss this with the Minister concerned. There was an earlier iteration of this under the previous Government in terms of a broader policy. Towards the latter end of the previous Government…

-----and a few older guys who want to hang around in nightclubs.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It has always been a complex issue; it is not simple. More than 20 years ago we set up the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction and it has taken that time to get a legislative framework to deal with the many issues pertaining to assisted human reproduction. I will talk to the Minister for Health in this regard. She has prioritised the commencement of this legislation and the creation of a proper edifice and framework to help people, particularly in respect of the surr…

There is an expansion in the number of SNAs. The number will go up to 25,000 in September from 23,000. I listed earlier that since 2020, we have had an extra 8,000 plus SNAs. That is the level of expansion that has occurred. It is enormous by any standard and that should be acknowledged. There were pressures on certain schools as a result of the recent review and therefore we have paused it. Ministers will engage now with the NCSE and there will be engagement with all the schools that got an indication of a reducti…

We need to look at other potential supports for children to ensure good fruitful inclusion and participation in schools.

The Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O’Connor, has been very focused on this. The implementation will be imminent. These are necessary Bills and we want to get them done and implemented through both Houses and see what more we can do to get rid of these things and protect young people.

Imminent.

I have responded to this on a number of occasions this afternoon. We have increased the number of SNAs and will continue to do that. There will have to be reviews on an ongoing basis. Members accepted that in the House this afternoon. One has to evaluate all of the time. Needs change in schools. Some schools have additional need; others may not.

Obviously it will be after a substantial review. It should be school by school, ongoing and regular, so there are no big surprises like what happened with the letters that were sent by the NCSE when some schools were told they would lose four SNAs. That was never the case. Approximately 68% of those 500 are staying the same and increasing.

I acknowledge the very significant contribution healthcare assistants make to our health system. The difficulty here is there was a Workplace Relations Commission hearing on 10 March last year between ICTU unions and the relevant Departments. An agreement was reached on pay and conditions but that applied to section 39 organisations under the health Acts, section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, section 10 of the housing Act and section 40 of the Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence Agency Act 202…

To give Deputies a bit background, I was the Minister for Education who introduced special needs assistants to mainstream schools for children with special needs. I do not need lectures from Deputy McDonald in terms of the value, importance and centrality of special needs assistants to children in our schools and the support that they have given. I have watched it grow from almost nothing to close to 25,000 SNAs in our school system by September next. In the past five years alone, the number of special needs assist…

I have spoken with the Minister, Deputy Naughton; the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan; and the NCSE. They will work through with the schools that have been impacted more severely than others. I do not believe any school should lose six SNAs. I think that was reported last evening.

I do not believe any school should lose four if there are six.

I do not believe that, and that is why more regular reviews would be better. They would be more attuned to the needs of the school year, rather than what may happen when capacity has built up and needs have changed. The needs do change. We are bringing a therapy service in schools, and into special schools in particular. We will have a multidisciplinary approach in special schools. We spread that out and mainstream it over time. That is important as well to bring additional disciplines to help children with special…

Ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil muid ar thaobh na SNAs.

Tá i bhfad níos mó infheistíochta curtha isteach againn ó thaobh chúrsaí oideachais do leanaí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta acu.