Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The reality for many parents is that this circular is very frightening because it has moved the goal posts. The Minister of State may not care to admit it, but it is going to make it more difficult for students who need SNA support to receive it. That is a fact. We have already seen cases in our constituency offices of children who previously had SNA support and who are now in the process of losing it because the goal posts have moved significantly. The new circular states a child must have a "profound" disability in order to qualify for SNA support. Much of the change comes on the back of the review about which the Minister of State spoke. One of the findings of the review was that many schools did not know what was the role or remit of SNAs. There is a lot of work to be done with schools in that regard. Schools must be educated on the role and remit of SNAs and how best to use them. However, that does not take away from the fact that many parents are extremely worried that children who currently receive SNA support are going to lose it because of the annual review.

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