Withdrawal of SNA support at Meath school brutally unfair & symptomatic of wider concerns – Darren O’Rourke TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Youth, Darren O’Rourke TD, says parents at St. Patrick’s National School in Stamullen, Co. Meath, have been left shocked and angered after fifteen children with additional needs had their Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support withdrawn with almost no warning. Parents were told on Friday that SNA support would be withdrawn on Monday.

The Meath East TD said that the move is extremely unfair and is symptomatic of wider concerns in relation to SNA resourcing and allocations.

Deputy O’Rouroke added that, despite Minister for Special Education Michael Moynihan’s claim that there is no change in policy, it is clear there is both a change in the interpretation and implementation of the policy.

Teachta O’Rourke said:

“The news that well-established SNA support was to be withdrawn from fifteen students at St. Patrick’s NS came at very short notice and was a real shock.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 TD, ‘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 on 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 is a matter of basic rights and dignity.  The government cannot stand over such a reckless move.”