Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)

The review process is very poor at the moment. I know one principal who went to a review in March. He sat down with the SENO because he knew students were coming into junior infants in September who required support. There were three with quite complex needs, but when he got his allocation at the end of June, there was no change to it. When you contact the NCSE, they say it can be appealed and the school could have a review in August. That is after the school has gone through the review process. What was the point of all of that?

In a secondary school with more than 650 students, there is only one SNA in the whole school. The school reckons that about 100 students require support but, again, it has been refused.

I know we will hear from the Department. Ms Cockerill states the limits on recruitment and retention have become persistent challenges, yet when the Department and the NCSE will be in for the second session, they will say there is no issue with recruitment or retention. Could she just expand on that?

An SNA told me last night that she is on a WhatsApp group with 400 SNAs, and they are all subs.