Ms Rose Bradley:

While I am not here to talk specifically about SNA training, this point actually brings it up quite nicely. We must acknowledge there are huge training issues when it comes to special needs assistants, even as noted for children in primary and secondary school. In addition, while the therapists I know who work with children with particular disabilities are not there to formally train the staff who may be working in a preschool, they are very much there to provide support. Therefore, as the others have noted, where one is able to include a child, staff and services will know that there are other services available with which they can collaborate and on which they can draw, whether it be the Central Remedial Clinic, CRC, Enable Ireland or the Health Service Executive, HSE, and that there are therapists who are involved with a particular child. As I stated previously, each child is an individual; therefore, one is considering the needs of a particular child, drawing on the supports available in that child's life and finding out about his or her needs. While that is not formal training, it very much encompasses support and guidance specifically for that child.

To revert to the comment about the split preschool year, I agree completely. As I stated in my submission, parents have told me the entire provision for taking the time pro rataover two years where a child has particular needs works very well for families in the first year. This is because where a child has particular additional needs and may be undergoing many medical procedures, very unwell and missing a lot of days, families have stated only having two days per week works perfectly in the first year. When it comes to the second year, however, the year before school, the child really needs to be attending from Monday to Friday, inclusive. I am speaking from the perspective of working as a social worker with children with disabilities and if one were giving consideration to prioritising where the funding was spent, one might consider prioritising children with disabilities or additional needs to have access to a full second year.

There was also a question about necessary equipment and how children could access it. My experience of and opinion on that question is that where a child has equipment needs owing to his or her disability, one has the relevant therapist making the prescription which is then sanctioned by the HSE.

There is one other point on which I wish to conclude. Even if, in an ideal world, all children with additional needs were given a second full year, without the necessary support, that is, the actual body in the preschool room, they would still be unable to attend preschool. Consequently, as was noted, it is really important either to consider extending SNA provision to children in preschools or, as my colleagues were suggesting, look at increasing the ratio of staff in preschools. It is about having access to actually go the school. To be able to participate actively in a real way, one needs the additional bodies.