Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

The witnesses are very welcome here today. It is extremely worrying when SNAs tell us they feel like second-class citizens in schools. I want to say from the outset that I value not just the role of SNAs but also their contribution to the school classrooms and communities. My children do not have direct access to an SNA but I can tell the witnesses that the names and characters of Betty, Sandra and Corina were fixtures around our dinner table. I am really grateful for that because they have made my children's experience at school more positive. How do the witnesses feel when they hear the role of an SNA being described as solely limited to the physical care needs of students?