Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I will use my time to highlight an unbelievable situation. A DEIS school in my constituency was originally denied the recommended SNA allocation. The reason given to the school for this decision was a freeze or cap on SNA recruitment. When the Minister was questioned in March about this ridiculous freeze, we were told that if the school feels it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students, an application can be submitted to the NCSE requesting a review of its allocation. This school had undergone a thorough review with the NCSE. The special educational needs organiser, SENO, recommended the increase. The children's needs had been clearly outlined and the school was effectively denied this increase in SNAs because the Department did not sanction it. This was all under the watch of this Government.

After meeting the school principal and vice principal, I raised this matter directly with the Minister for Education and Youth who passed the buck to the Minister of State. Neither appeared willing to meet the school or address these concerns. Despite the school doing everything expected of it, it was let down by the Minister and her Government. Sadly, the story can easily be replicated across many other constituencies. Parents and principals can relate countless examples of their continuing fight for school places, SNAs and special classes. In recent weeks ,the school principal has informed me that the appeal of the appeal of the SNA allocation has been allowed by the NCSE. Thankfully, it will move from 2.5 SNAs to four in the mainstream school. This was entirely as a result of the school's determination and the support of the school community of Marymount National School. Resources were drained for another appeal in a school already overstretched.

For the Minister of State's credibility, he should not only support this important motion, but implement the proposals in it. I call on him to pay particular attention to the call for a review of the national cap on SNAs so that families and schools in Drogheda and beyond do not find themselves in another fight for supports down the line. The fact is that the failure to invest, plan and deliver adequate school infrastructure and supports has left many hundreds of children with additional needs without appropriate education. The children of Drogheda, the children of Louth and the children of Ireland deserve so much more from the Government.

See this speech in context