Mr. Dessie Robinson:

In a very large poll, we received an endorsement for action by a margin of almost 97%. In fairness to the current Minister, she has listened carefully to our concerns and representations and appears to have a good understanding of the difficulties. We were heartened by her remarks on 9 April 2015 at our education divisional conference and we responded to her invitation to participate in talks with the other stakeholders. These talks led to the Department issuing a circular on 12 June 2015, the terms of which place an onus on schools to offer additional hours in the first instance to part-time staff working in the school. We see this as a very positive and welcome development. Unfortunately, the announcement of the NCSE allocations for the next school year 2015-16 has been delayed. Normally these allocations are announced around mid-June. This allows schools and individual SNAs to plan in the knowledge of what jobs will exist in the school for the following year. I regret to say that our members have commenced school holidays in recent days without knowing their job situation for end of August, early September. This is totally unacceptable, as acknowledged by the Department of Education and Skills.

A secondary effect is that it makes it difficult to be definitive about the benefits accruing from the recent circular on casualisation of employment. It is imperative that the allocation figures become available to allow its provisions to operate effectively. Nothing less than this will be acceptable to IMPACT.

IMPACT has fought hard on behalf of special needs assistants just to secure progress on the related issues of job security and income protection that are at the heart of public service agreements since the Croke Park agreement was negotiated in March 2010. This should not be necessary. In our view, it would be preferable that SNAs were treated similarly to teachers, enjoying continuous employment depending on school-going numbers.

As I stated previously to the committee, the big issue for special needs assistants is respect or a perceived lack of it. There is a significant spend on the scheme under which special needs assistants are employed. We must move to a situation where the resource comprising the SNA population is properly respected and valued. Too often the special needs assistant is seen as a general dogsbody rather than an important asset to the classroom. Whether it is because their employment is seen as casual or for some other reason, there is no continuing professional development or in-service training programme for special needs assistants. This must be created if we are to maximise the return on what the State is investing. It is also vitally important that specific training modules are made available, so SNAs can better meet the needs of children with particular requirements.

It would be timely to have a review that would encompass all of these issues, and others, to ensure that the children who rely on the availability of special needs assistants will have their needs met in the best possible way. If there is a genuine openness on the part of the Department and other authorities to approach this in a truly collaborative fashion, IMPACT in its representational role would be happy to participate.