Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)

I commend the Technical Group on putting forward this motion. I wish to acknowledge the role SNAs play in our society and the tremendous support they give to special children in order that they may enjoy an education. I also acknowledge the role they play in assisting teachers with pupils who receive SNA support at important times in their lives. The importance of SNAs for children with special needs so that they have the opportunity to receive an education cannot be stressed enough.

Over the past number of weeks, I have been inundated with letters and e-mails from parents and special needs assistants. I would like to cite some of these to give a flavour of what having an SNA means to some people. One letter I received came from a mother with a six year old daughter who is due to go into senior infants in September. She says the child needs assistance, supervision and help with toileting and personal care. Her daughter often bites or hits out at other girls in the class, wanders off at the first opportunity and is generally disruptive in class when left without assistance. She needs to be accompanied to the resource room or would wander off without warning. Sometimes she soils herself or removes all her clothes when in the bathroom. She needs an SNA with her to ensure she remains on task and the child's mother appeals for that support.

Another letter I received was from a special needs assistant. The child she cares for is eight years old and will go into first class in September. This child has cerebral palsy and due to this has reduced strength in one side of her body. She needs assistance with toileting and personal care and also needs assistance getting books from her school bag and with her lunch. She has behavioural problems, more from anxiety and not being able to do something she wants to do. She is also afraid of loud noises and alarms and starts screaming and crying and sometimes has to be removed from the class to calm down. These are just two examples of the many letters and e-mails I have received and are an awful indictment of any Government that inhibits or discriminates against a child and his or her opportunity to enjoy an education.

The most important years in children's lives are from infancy to the first few years they spend in school because this is when they learn most and thirst for an education. It is particularly annoying when people who claim they have a social conscience allow a lack of support in this regard. People of conscience will ask why the Government should attack special children and deny them the opportunity of receiving an education. A society can only be judged on how it treats its most vulnerable. If this Government proceeds to cut back on funding for special needs, it will be a disgrace. If it does that, it cannot under any circumstances say it is representative of all our people.

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