Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the floor of the Seanad.

Today, I wish to speak about and call for legislation on an issue that goes right to the heart of child protection in our schools, the recognition of our special needs assistants, SNAs, as mandated persons under the Children First Act 2015.

Every day across Ireland, SNAs stand on the front line of care for our most vulnerable children, those with additional and complex needs. They are not occasional visitors in a classroom. They are a constant, trusted presence in the lives of the children they support. They help these children learn, communicate, move and participate. They are the ones who provide comfort during moments of distress, who manage personal care with dignity and compassion and who often spend more one-on-one time with a child than any one else in the school.

Because of that closeness, SNAs are often the first to notice when something is not right - a change in behaviour, a sudden withdrawal, an unexplained bruise or simply something that feels off. They are the adults that many children will go to first when they are upset or afraid. In many cases, they are the trusted bridge between the child and the wider world.

Despite this vital role, SNAs are not currently recognised as mandated persons under the Children First Act. That, in my view, is a serious gap in our child protection system. It leaves these dedicated professionals uncertain about their legal obligations, and it risks delays in identifying or reporting potential abuse or neglect. We rightly expect our schools to be places of safety and vigilance, but we cannot achieve that if those who work most closely with vulnerable children are left outside the mandated framework.

If we are serious about creating a culture of vigilance, accountability and care, every adult who has direct and sustained contact with children, especially in intimate care roles, must be both empowered and required to act when they have a concern. Recognising SNAs as mandated persons would not only strengthen the law, it would acknowledge their professionalism, their skill and the deep duty of care they already demonstrate every day in our schools. This is not about adding bureaucracy, it is about recognising reality. SNAs are already doing the work. They already protect children, they already raise concerns and they already carry that responsibility. What they need, though, and what our children deserve is the clarity, authority and respect that comes from being fully recognised within our child protection framework.

Today, I am calling on the Minister to bring forward legislation and to update the relevant Schedules of the Children First Act to ensure that special needs assistants are formally recognised as mandated persons. By doing so, we will strengthen child protection, close an unacceptable gap in our system and show SNAs in this country that the State values the vital role they play in keeping our children safe, supported, seen and heard.