Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection

Role of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion

1:00 pm

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Robinson and Ms McCrohan's presentation refers to the lack of continuous professional development or in-service training programmes for special needs assistants and the need for a collaborative approach to the role of SNAs. It is welcome that the union is willing to participate in such a process, which is clearly the reason Mr. Robinson and Ms McCrohan are in attendance. We commonly criticise the Teachers Union of Ireland and the Irish National Teachers Organisation for their tendency to use appearances before the joint committee as an opportunity to raise issues that are not necessarily relevant to the meeting. IMPACT is not alone, therefore, in being criticised, although it clearly has a role to play in this regard. Has it received feedback from its members about their role? Several members have raised this issue.

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