Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the sincerity with which the Deputy has approached this matter. That he comes across situations such as these is evidence of his diligence at constituency level. This is not the first case about which he has articulated concern due to his diligence on the ground. I indicated that a full review of the SNA contract is on the way as part of the SNA workforce development plan. That working group will examine all aspects of the duties and responsibilities of SNAs and how they interact with the school community. All of the stakeholders involved, including management bodies and the Fórsa trade union, which represents SNAs, are on that working group. It will also consider the challenges related to the role and make recommendations as to how they may be addressed.

A redeployment scheme for SNAs will be established in consultation and collaboration with stakeholders. It will run initially on a pilot basis and may give opportunities in the future to deal with the issues the Deputy has outlined. I will engage again with the Ministers on the basis of the Deputy's advocacy but work is under way.

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