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Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins has welcomed today’s plan to professionalise the role of Special Needs Assistants, but notes that this is long overdue. Deputy Cummins said: “The new Workforce Development Plan and revised SNA contract announced today are the culmination of years of essential work by SNAs and intense negotiations by Forsa. “While […]

Schools should not be insisting on students wearing expensive branded uniforms in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins said: “There have been fresh warnings from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) about the burden placed on parents having to buy expensive branded uniforms from […]

The Minister for Education’s call for schools to ease the financial burden on parents is tone deaf and ignores the financial reality facing schools across the country, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins said: “Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton’s suggestion that schools should sort out their own policies on pupil laptops is […]

The Minister for Education must publish the number of children currently awaiting special education school places, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins said: “The Department of Education should work with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to make the figures publicly available in the same way that the Department of […]

Reneging on the election promise to cut third level fees is not a fair or viable way to address Government overspend, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins said: “The excuse that reductions in third level fees could be scrapped to compensate for overspending by other Departments punishes Ireland’s students and their […]

The quiet phasing-out of early intervention classes for autistic children is being presented by Government as inclusion, when in reality it amounts to an essential provision being scaled back to meet shortages elsewhere, according to Social Democrats disability spokesperson Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide said: “I received a parliamentary reply which shows that the Department of […]

Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins has called on the Department of Education and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to provide urgent clarity and transparency on the true number of children in need of an appropriate school place. Deputy Cummins, who is the party’s education spokesperson, said: “It is deeply concerning that, six months […]

The Government is ignoring the growing demand for the creation of gaelscoileanna and gaelcholáistí across Ireland, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins said: “There are 11 counties with no gaelcholáistí, no option for parents or their children to receive an education in their native language. “More than 50% of the Department […]

The announcement of so-called “inclusive special classes” in mainstream schools has been made without clarity or engagement with school communities, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins. The announcement forms part of a wider package of 45 new special classes for the 2026/27 school year, including five pilot “inclusive” classes intended to allow students […]

Every level of the early years sector, including the Federation of Early Childhood Providers and Childhood Services Ireland, must come to the table and attend important pay talks for early years educators, according to Social Democrats children spokesperson Aidan Farrelly. Deputy Farrelly said: “The ongoing recruitment and retention crisis in early years education and childcare […]