The government must clarify what the pause in proposed SNA cuts means for families and school staff around the country, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide.
Deputy Quaide said:
“This afternoon, the government backtracked on planned cuts to Special Needs Assistants in schools across the country after ferocious pressure from the public.
“SNAs support children with a range of needs, including emotional regulation, attention, communication, participation and belonging in school life – without that support, many children simply cannot access education or cannot reach their potential.
“This chaos follows the recent astonishing decision to shift key elements of identifying special educational needs away from clinicians and towards teachers under the so-called Assessment of Need reforms – a move made without consultation which has given rise to bewilderment and uncertainty across the sector.
“This detached, planning-by-spreadsheet approach to education is messing with people’s lives – the government must now confirm that all of the 194 schools which were told that they would be losing one or more SNA now will be retaining their services.
“Pausing this process is insufficient; work must be done so that SNAs feel secure in their employment, schools are fully equipped with the workforce they need, and, especially, that every child has the access to education they deserve.
“Educational supports must be informed by the needs of children and families, not by rigid criteria that fail to reflect the lived experiences of our school communities. This pause should now be used to build a robust, child-centred, evidence-based approach that restores confidence and delivers appropriate support for every learner.
“SNAs play a vital role in our schools, and those jobs must be made secure so that staff can plan their futures without uncertainty – the Minister for Education must clarify these points as soon as possible.”
February 17th, 2026