Government row back on SNA plan

There will be no reductions of special needs assistants for the next school year and an additional €19m in funding will be allocated to the sector.

The €19m to fund SNAs was flagged following a meeting of Government party leaders and several ministers last night.

In the wake of that meeting Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton TD and Minister of State for Special Education Michael Moynihan TD confirmed there will be no reductions to special needs assistants for the next school year.

After a meeting with Government leaders last night, it was agreed all schools reviewed by the NCSE and allocated additional resources will receive them in the upcoming school year. No reductions will come into effect in the 2026/27 school year.

It was agreed that the SNA redeployment scheme, the SNA workforce development plan and changes to a 2014 circular outlining the role of a SNA will be advanced before any further decisions are taken: “The priority will be ensuring that the child-centred approach to the provision of special education is retained and enhanced in these policy developments.

“After these key documents are agreed and published, the NCSE can commence reviews of supports provided to schools for the 2027/28 academic year which will uphold the integrity of the process, which allocates supports based on the needs of children,” a statement from a government spokesperson said.

Mullingar will still stage one of many demonstrations against Government plans for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in mainstream schools that are set to take place across the country this week.

The protests in towns and cities nationwide will be spearheaded by a gathering this Wednesday, February 25, outside Leinster House. Mullingar SNAs and parents of children with additional needs will hold their protest at Market Square at 5pm this Wednesday.