Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Special needs assistants are being denied equal health and safety leave provision while pregnant. They are given just 21 days' leave if deemed at risk in the work environment. This means they have to use other leave to compensate for long-term absence if they encounter risk in the early stages of pregnancy. Contagious diseases are more common in younger children and these diseases are considered a threat to babies' health.

Considering the potential risk posed to SNAs – there is a greater risk of injury given the physical element – there is a clear disparity between the provisions afforded to teachers and those afforded to SNAs, the workers who may need to rely on health and safety leave to a greater extent. According to Fórsa, any policy in this regard should be indiscriminative and provision should be afforded equally to all pregnant staff, not based on grade or role. Will the Tánaiste ensure equal workplace safety standards across all roles? We need to ensure that the Government puts supports in place for employees to assist them with regard to their leave entitlements.

SNAs work with children with a range of care needs, many of whom exhibit extremely challenging behaviour that requires full-time help. I would be the first to say a lot of good work has been done in education. There are more teachers and SNAs, there is early intervention, and children's problems are being diagnosed early. A couple of weeks ago, I dealt with the case of a young mother expecting her first child who had been in her job for a couple of years. She absolutely loves her job but she has been bitten, kicked and thumped. A couple of weeks ago, she was viciously attacked all of a sudden and has been off work. Now she has to pay for herself, which is very unfair. To me, teaching and providing special needs assistance are vocations and both should be treated the same.

The conditions must be improved. It is in the Tánaiste's power to look after the SNAs, who deserve better treatment. As a former teacher, the Tánaiste will know that, over the past number of years, SNAs have benefited from many of the same opportunities afforded to teachers. The Employment Permits Bill 2022 was cornered with domestic violence. Many teachers and SNAs were victims of domestic violence and now that has been looked after. With regard to breastfeeding, teachers and SNAs now have the same entitlements. Good work is being done by SNAs. Half the schools in the country do not have enough SNAs. It is important that we get the right people. People have gone back to school, got educated, gained experience and have done everything needed to become an SNA. Parents who come to my constituency office, including those with autistic children, want to know their children will get full-time care and be looked after properly by SNAs when they go to school. Could the Tánaiste please look after the SNAs?

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