Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to speak on this important motion and I compliment its authors. It is appalling to note, as the motion does, that nationally 3,568 children were awaiting a first assessment of need at the end of March and that in excess of 850 children with special educational needs were receiving home tuition while awaiting school placement in 2017-2018. Tá an tAire imithe. The Minister is gone now.

Last year, I and my colleagues in the Rural Independent Group highlighted these and similar matters during the debate on our own motion on this issue. I also sought to highlight some of the broader challenges in the provision of SNAs. The lack of job security and an exhaustive application process are among some of the obstacles preventing the full participation of special needs assistants in schools. SNAs are still being treated by the Department as optional extras instead of being seen as vital members of the school teaching staff. The Minister for Education and Skills has left to be replaced by the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, and we know how he looks after his personnel, so we do not have much hope in that area.

Despite all the rhetoric around the Government’s commitment to increasing the number of SNAs, it has done practically nothing in facilitating the SNA as a permanent member of staff. They should be an integral part of the school. It is because of this that schools, and in particular, principals and boards of management are telling us that they have to spend a significant amount of time making applications each year for SNA support for their schools. The primary principals are struggling with their workload when they are teaching principals. That is why I again call on the Government to provide job security to SNAs by providing permanent employment contracts.

I am also calling on it to review the SNA supplementary assignment panel arrangements, as substitute work should be taken into consideration to enable all SNAs to gain entry onto the panel. It is absurd that an SNA’s service in a substitute capacity, covering for maternity leave, sick leave, career breaks, job sharing, etc., does not count towards obtaining the required one year’s service that allows an SNA to become a member of the supplementary panel. That is shameful, downright wrong and a blackguarding of the people. That must change.

At present parents are operating in a vacuum with regard to obtaining certainty around the assignment of an SNA for their child. That kind of stress is totally unacceptable. The children with special needs need these supports and the SNAs must be supported. I hope that the Minister seriously takes on board these suggestions and will move to adopt policies to address the deficits that have been identified in the SNA system.

I am sure people come to the Minister of State's clinics as they come to ours. I hope he will listen. However, he will not listen to the Defence Forces personnel and their spouses. When he tells us stories about ships going into dry dock instead of telling us the real truth of what is going on, I do not expect much here.

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