Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

It is with regret I must raise such a matter in the Dáil. I am referring to the review carried out earlier this year by the Department of Education and Skills of the allocation of special needs assistants, SNAs, to special units in primary and post-primary schools. As a result of the review, a primary school in my constituency, St. Senan's in Enniscorthy, has lost seven SNAs, five from its specialist autism unit and two assigned to children with autism in the mainstream classes. As such, the school believes it was hard done by.

Last Saturday week, I attended a protest march in Enniscorthy where more than 300 parents turned out in frustration at the cutbacks applied by the Department. When the autism unit opened in St. Senan's school in 2004, the Department recognised the special needs of the children and sanctioned SNAs for each child based in classes in the autism unit. Back-tracking and removing SNAs from those children several years later is sad. Parents with whom I spoke explained to me how much their children came on thanks to the SNAs.

As I stated in an earlier debate this evening, the Cabinet and Members opposite do not realise how important an SNA is to a child and how much his or her skills can develop with the help of one-to-one special needs assistance. I have no doubt that this is a cost saving exercise on the part of the Department of Education and Skills. Nor do I doubt that the Department, if it examined its budget and spending, would find other areas in which to apply cost saving measures without touching front line services. The SNAs based in St. Senan's school and many other schools across County Wexford form part of our front line services. They have been removed from children.

Parents and teachers alike would tell the Minister of State about the importance of having an SNA available. The children in question have special and autistic needs. It is sad to see a cost saving exercise being put in place at the expense of a child and that child's future. It is with total frustration and anger that parents took to the streets in Enniscorthy last Saturday week. The parent does his or her very best when his or her child returns from school in the evening. Parents expect a special level of education and a level of help for their children in the schools they attend.

I remember when the then Minister, Deputy Hanafin, visited the autistic unit in St. Senan's school and saw the great work the school was carrying out. I commend the principal, the teachers, the board of management and every parent on putting this excellent facility in place. They have fundraised to make it so. The work done by teachers and SNAs alike is special for the children who attend the school. They had the opportunity to access a proper education, one that recognises the importance of integrating the children in question into the mainstream setting, including its social aspect. These children were made to feel special by being able to attend a mainstream school like St. Senan's in Enniscorthy. With one fell swoop, the Department has saved money and removed SNAs from that school.

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