Hildegarde Naughton
Galway West · Fine Gael · Ireland
“It is an absolute commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio over the lifetime of the Government. The Deputy will appreciate I cannot announce anything here in the Dáil. I have to go into negotiations in relation to the upcoming budget.”
“Where we can, we give guidance and I know schools are very well aware of this. They do this well themselves so that where possible, the more junior classes would have a lower class size.”
“The identification model has to be applied consistently right across the country to have fairness and transparency around it. Under the DEIS strategy to 2035, work is under way in my Department, with colleagues in the Central Statistics Office and across other Departments, to utilise other administrative data sources to help improve how w…”
“The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme for an additional temporary classroom in 2025. This school had previously been approved for a permanent extension under the ASA scheme in 2021 for a two-classroom special education needs unit and one mainstream classroom.”
“A huge amount of work is being done on securing specialist places, be it in special classes or special schools. We are far ahead of where we were this time last year. We had a budget for 400 special classes. I got increased funding in March of this year. We are ahead in relation to forward planning.”
“The general average of pupils to teachers in the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year. Average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.1 to 22.2 through the investment we are making in schools.”
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“I thank the Senator and welcome the opportunity to discuss the teacher relocation proposal. Any initiative that seeks to ensure that the educational needs of children are prioritised is to be welcomed. The recruitment and appointment of teachers for teaching positions is managed by individual school authorities. There are over 3,700 individual school authorities responsible for this process, including boards of management at primary and post-primary levels as well as the education and training boards, ETBs. There are more qualified teachers than ever working in schools, with an analysis of payroll data from November 2025 showing that there are 75,000 teachers employed in schools across the country.”
“I move: THAT, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 5th February, 2025, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer following those set down to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Minister for Defence Minister for Education and Youth whereupon the sequence established by the Order of 5th February, 2025, shall continue with Questions to the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.”
“I am pleased to confirm that the drafting of the plan and the actions under each of the pillars is now at an advanced stage and I am engaging with the unions to progress the plan to its final stages. Given the significant work on these important initiatives and the benefits they will bring to SNAs and school communities, I am determined to publish the SNA workforce plan as soon as possible and I look forward to hearing the views of the Senators.”
“As is evident from the SNA reviews, the level of SNA support required in a school may reduce year on year due to children having left the school or the care needs of the students having diminished. Conversely, schools may require a higher level of support when the level of care needs increase, new students join the school or new needs emerge. Other than the ETBI redeployment scheme, at present there is no formal redeployment scheme. The introduction of this scheme will have many benefits. Students and school communities will benefit as vacant posts are filled by SNAs who are trained, experienced and skilled. The scheme will increase job security for SNAs and reduce redundancies. Schools will also have less of an administrative burden for recruitment to fill vacant posts.”
“The second group consisted wholly of SNAs from different sectors in the education system. This extensive collaboration was vital to deliver a robust SNA workforce development plan. In relation to the review of the SNA role, research on the plan has shown that there is a strong need for clarity, transparency and consistency around the SNA role, which is currently set out in Circular 30/2014. An extensive review has been completed in collaboration with stakeholders to provide clarity on the SNA role and duties, and to account for the evolved role of the SNA. The new circular, entitled Supporting Guidance, will support best practice in the role. To complement this work, we will also establish a robust SNA redeployment scheme to facilitate the redeployment of eligible SNAs from schools with surplus posts.”
“This consultation was vital to include the voice of the SNAs working in the schools, as well as that of the students, parents, guardians, school leaders and teachers. Research was followed by significant collaboration with all the key stakeholders. Each of the five pillars of the plan were represented by a working group which included representatives from the school management bodies, Fórsa representatives and SNAs. The working groups met 54 times over the past two years. There were also two stakeholder groups providing feedback on the proposals for the plan, which met four times each over the course of the work of the plan. The first of these stakeholder groups consisted of teacher unions, school leadership and representative bodies, student body representatives and special needs advocacy groups.”
“Overall, this plan will include consideration of how best SNAs can work together with school leaders, teachers, students and the whole school community to ensure they can provide the most effective service to children and young people with special educational needs. The plan covers five pillars or main areas: review and development of the SNA role; establishment of a quality framework; establishment of an SNA learning and development programme; supporting SNA recruitment, retention and diversity; and development of a communications strategy. The initial phase of this work involved substantial research and analysis which fed into the collaborative phase and informed all the proposals for the final plan.”
“As Senators are aware, Government has agreed measures which will give clarity to school communities. These measures are: all schools reviewed by the NCSE and allocated additional resources will receive them in the upcoming school year; no reductions will come into effect in the 2026-27 school year; and the SNA redeployment scheme, the SNA workforce development plan and changes to the 2014 circular outlining the role of a SNA will be advanced before any further decisions are taken. Over the past two years, my Department has been working diligently to progress the first special needs workforce development plan, which is scheduled for delivery in 2026.”
“Working alongside almost 22,000 special educational teachers, this September will see almost 25,000 SNAs in our schools play a key role in supporting children and young people with care needs. It is important to mention the important role of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, in this regard. The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision and care support for children and young people with special educational needs, and for the allocation of SNA support to schools. I fully support the NCSE in its work with schools. As a teacher, I could not stand over cuts to special education services, and Government has repeatedly stated that improving the lives of people with a disability or a special educational requirement is a priority.”
“This year, we will invest more than €3 billion to support children. Funding has never been higher, and it represents almost a quarter of the entire education budget. To clarify, Government was not in any manner proposing to make hundreds of SNAs redundant, a measure which would be counteractive to all we are trying to achieve. We are working to strike that balance between managing resources and ensuring those students with the highest level of need are supported in our schools. To be clear, 23,179 SNAs were allocated to schools for the 2025-26 school year. Last year, 21,579 SNAs were allocated and, next September, the allocation will increase again to 24,896.”
“I know that children thrive in school thanks to the supports provided by dedicated, hard-working school staff. I also know how vital these dedicated staff are in helping young people gain independence and confidence in the classroom and in their life beyond school. In addition to these reassurances, I want to respond to some misinformation about how the Government is supposedly cutting supports, undermining SNAs and failing to invest in our education system. This Government and my Department have the utmost respect for SNAs, teachers, special education teachers, schools, students and their families. I fully appreciate, endorse and share my Department's insistence that special education policies are child-centred and designed to assist young people to thrive in school and to help them to reach their full potential.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me the opportunity to inform and update the Seanad on the special needs assistant role in our schools and the important work my Department has progressed in this area. I welcome the opportunity to listen to the views of Senators here today. I understand people were angry and frustrated at what they perceived as the removal of essential supports from students. That is why I want to assure this House that no cuts are proposed, or will be proposed, to the provision of SNA support to children and young people across our school system. My Department is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs, and we will implement our programme for Government commitments to deliver on this objective. As a teacher myself, I know the value of SNAs, teachers and special education teachers.”
“In addition, Sage Advocacy has since November 2023 been engaged by my Department to provide advocacy supports to survivors. It has appointed regional advocates all across the country to assist survivors engaging with relevant service providers such as local authorities and the HSE. Information on the supports available to survivors will be published on the Department’s website and will also be communicated to survivor and advocacy groups to ensure that as many survivors as possible will be made aware of their availability. To Mary, Miriam, Maurice and Mary, I say nothing we do now can ever make up for the harm that you have suffered and that was done to you by others. As children, you were subjected to horrific abuse while placed in residential institutions.”
“I understand that the Department of Health is working closely with the HSE to ensure these supports, including the health liaison officers, will be in place as soon as possible. The Government has also approved the expansion of the education support payment scheme, to be provided under the Act. This scheme, which will be administered by my Department, will provide payments ranging from €500 to €2,000 per year to survivors engaging in education, depending on the level of the course concerned. The scheme will also provide payments of €600 per year to survivors to support with informal learning, self-development and well-being. My Department is finalising arrangements in order that these important supports for survivors can be delivered as soon as possible.”
“However, we are now moving to a new phase of the State providing ongoing supports to survivors to meet their key needs. Last July, the Oireachtas passed the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025, which will enable the delivery of ongoing health and education supports to survivors of abuse in residential institutions. With regard to health supports, eligible survivors will be provided with a medical card, which will enable them to obtain certain health supports and services through the HSE. This entitlement will be for life and will not be subject to means testing or review. The Government has recently agreed to strengthen this package of health supports through the appointment of specified liaison officers within the HSE and through improved access to counselling and physiotherapy services.”
“It is also right that the State continues to provide supports to survivors to address the legacy of the abuse suffered. As the Taoiseach has already outlined, there has been a significant response by the State to this issue in recent decades, much of which has come under the remit of my Department. It includes the investigations undertaken by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, the redress payments made to survivors by the Residential Institutions Redress Board, and funding supports provided by Caranua to over 6,000 survivors in important areas such as health, housing and education. In addition, the National Counselling Service continues to provide much-needed counselling and psychiatry services to survivors of childhood abuse.”
“I, too, welcome Mary, Miriam, Maurice and Mary to the House today, together with your family members and supporters. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet you this afternoon. I understand that days like today are particularly difficult for you and your families because hearing an apology can bring back such painful experiences. I also recognise how important this moment is in acknowledging the harm that was done. It is an essential step in honouring your truth and supporting healing for you and those who love you. The abuse and mistreatment that you, as well as so many other survivors, experienced during childhood was horrific and wrong. It is right that this historic wrong has been acknowledged by both the State and the Government and that it continues to be acknowledged.”
“Separately, my Department will shortly complete a piece of work with Finland which will help inform the development of an inclusive education system, drawing on best practice internationally. There is much work to do, and this work will be informed by consultation, meaningful engagement and co-design with education stakeholders, families and young people. I will be guided by the central premise and ambition that this Government is fully committed to supporting children of all abilities to attend school in their community and that their journey through the education system will be positive, nurturing and help them to achieve their ambitions, whatever they may be. I assure the House, the people protesting around the country, families, school communities and young people that this Government is listening.”
“We need to move away from using the term "special" education. Instead, we must strive to develop an education system which supports students of all abilities without attaching a label. I was struck by a radio interview yesterday with Derval McDonagh from Inclusion Ireland. She made the point that what is needed was a much deeper and wider look at our education system to help shape a fully inclusive model. I completely agree, and work is progressing in this regard. Just last June, my Department published a review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act. The review garnered more than 28,000 responses, and sets out 51 recommendations to help create an education system that is inclusive, equitable and fit for purpose for children and young people of all abilities.”
“For information, the "powers that be" in Northern Ireland are the Government of which Sinn Féin is a member. Last night, that party claimed in this House: "We stand with every child with additional needs". In Northern Ireland it is a different story. There, it refuses to pay classroom assistants for the full school year and, as Ms Harkin said, does not understand their role. This Government is committed to an education system where every child and young person feels and is valued, and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. We accept, however, that the system is not working as well as it could. We know that children do not want to feel different from their peers, and we need to talk about children going to school, rather than going to a special class or special school.”
“I will work to ensure this does not happen again. I will address a point made by Sinn Féin last night when it made the charge that SNAs had been "disrespected" by the Government. Just last week in Northern Ireland, teaching assistants - who obviously fulfil a different role from SNAs but which are nonetheless an extremely important support for many children - told the BBC they were "undervalued", in part because they are only paid during term time. For clarity, full-time SNAs here are paid from 1 September to 31 August, the full school year, reflecting the importance we attach to their role. Juliana Harkin, a classroom assistant for ten years, told the BBC her role was "undervalued" and that the “powers that be" do not realise that classroom assistants go "above and beyond".”
“I understand the anger and upset that arose this week, but I do not, as some have claimed, blame the NCSE for this situation. The NCSE did the work it is mandated to do. I have full confidence in the NCSE. It fulfilled its role to ensure that special education resources are allocated to the schools with the greatest need. I regret to say that some SENOs and staff have been subject to unwarranted abuse over recent weeks. This is completely unjustified. NCSE staff are doing the job they are mandated to do. Whatever anger people may have towards the Government, there is no justification for taking that anger out on dedicated, honourable and diligent professionals, and I regret that this has happened. I fully accept that the process and outcomes were not properly communicated. That is the fault of Government.”
“Last night, the Opposition urged the Government to "professionalise" the work of SNAs. We are already doing this. The SNA workforce development plan, which is near completion, has been co-designed with SNAs. They were specifically included in the working groups to ensure the plan captures and reflects their professional experience. After these three documents are published, the NCSE will commence reviews of supports provided to schools for the 2027-2028 academic year, which will uphold the integrity of the process. Any school that believes it needs more support can request assistance from the NCSE, which can help with the effective deployment of SNA resources. Schools can also request a review of their allocation if care needs change at any point during the school year.”
“This will provide a method by which SNAs can be redeployed around the school system to ensure we have the right resources in the right place. This scheme is near finalisation and was developed following significant stakeholder engagement to ensure it works for SNAs and schools. The second document to be finalised is a review of a 2014 circular outlining the role of the SNA. This work will be advanced and completed as a priority. The third document is the SNA workforce development plan, which was developed following extensive discussion and engagement with SNAs and trade unions. Development of the plan involved 55 meetings across five working groups - each of which included two trade union representatives, one of whom was an SNA. There were also bilateral meetings with trade unions, and meetings with a dedicated SNA stakeholder group.”
“Once a SENO has finished a school review, a national panel within the NCSE reviews the decision to ensure consistency and that care needs are being captured. If a school is not satisfied with the review, it can appeal. This appeal is adjudicated by NCSE staff who were not involved in the original review. If the school is still not satisfied, it can request a further appeal from an independent panel, members of which are drawn from education stakeholder groups. As previously stated, the Government has agreed that three key documents must be finalised and published to provide additional clarity to our system of reviews. The first is the SNA redeployment scheme, which has long been called for by SNAs and trade unions.”
“As I previously said, the NCSE works to retain supports for children but circumstances can and do arise where the same level of SNA support is no longer required - such as where a student or students with highly significant care needs leave the school. There is also the ideal scenario where children gain more independence and more confidence in their learning and they no longer require the same level of support. These outcomes are what we all want, and what our system is designed to achieve. These are the measures of success for young people. I reject the assertion that the NCSE operates, as one Member of this House has claimed, as an "unaccountable gatekeeper". Checks and balances are in place to ensure the review process is robust and stands up to scrutiny.”
“Parents who may have a difficulty in completing this questionnaire are provided with contact details for the SENO tasked with completing the school review, so their child's needs can be documented. This information from parents and guardians is vitally important to help young people successfully progress in their journey through school. To ensure that a full picture is captured, the review process also includes consultation with staff in the school, including class teachers, special education teachers, SNAs and principals. Only when all this information is gathered can a robust assessment be made.”
“Last November, my Department's inspectorate published a report on the use of the student support files. It found that in a small percentage of schools, no student support files were in place and in another small number of schools, no learning needs for the current or previous school year were recorded. While mindful of the pressures placed on our schools, it does not serve children well if these files are not updated and used to measure progress, particularly when they play such an important role in determining the provision of supports. I will work with my Department to assist schools on this matter and provide any supports required. The NCSE is mindful that parents know what is best for their child, which is why SENOs ask that parents complete a questionnaire outlining the care needs of their child to help inform their reviews.”
“These files are compiled by the teacher and are an individualised learning plan that documents the young person's strengths, interests and needs, as well as the priority learning needs that have been agreed - with teachers, parents and the young person - as the basis for targets and interventions. The targets can include socio-emotional targets, behavioural targets and language targets as well as learning targets. The progress young people make in reaching their targets should be monitored and reviewed regularly, with all developments documented in the student support plan. The information contained is important not just to help assess progress or particular challenges that might arise - and the interventions put in place to assist the young person concerned - but also to help determine the level of need across the whole school.”
“In the 2024-2025 school year, around 1,400 reviews were conducted. In the current school year, some 1,000 reviews were conducted. Schools are notified of reviews in advance, and the NCSE undertakes a robust process to ensure they are based on the care needs of an individual school because - as Members of the House are aware - SNAs are allocated to schools, not individual children. The NCSE is not charged with cutting resources. It appreciates the complexities of young people and school life and deploys leniency in its outcomes, working to retain supports available to children. Among the information the NCSE requires to conduct a review are student support files for each young person.”
“The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision and care support for children and young people with special educational needs. This includes the allocation of SNA support to schools. I fully support the NCSE in its work. To allay any concerns people may have, it is important to give some context on how NCSE reviews take place. Special educational needs organisers, SENOs, are from various professional backgrounds and include occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, school principals, special education teachers, early intervention specialists, SNAs and mainstream class teachers. They know our education system. Among their other duties, SENOs also undertake school reviews, which have been a feature of our system for many years.”
“It is worth noting that budget 2026 provided that an additional 1,700 SNAs would join the education system in the coming September. By way of comparison, Sinn Féin's general election manifesto committed to providing an average of 1,000 SNAs per year, the Labour Party sought 1,200 in this year's budget and the Social Democrats sought 1,000. The Government is exceeding all these targets. Our decision this week adds another 500 SNAs to the system for 2026. Managing these valuable SNAs is crucially important to ensure that resources are allocated to schools with the highest level of need. It is therefore important that I speak to the vital role played by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE.”
“It is envisaged that all special schools will have access in the 2026-2027 school year. This service will be expanded over time to include special and mainstream classes. Our ambition around special education is set out in the programme for Government, which includes 20 separate actions aimed at supporting children. I am committed to delivering all of them. I also want to put to bed the suggestion that the Government was proposing to make hundreds of SNAs redundant, a measure that would fly in the face of what we are trying to achieve. To be clear: 23,179 SNAs were allocated to schools for the 2025-2026 school year. Last year, 21,579 SNAs were allocated. Next September, the allocation will rise again to 24,896. The numbers do not lie. We are not cutting SNAs.”
“The number of children participating in the programme grew from 13,000 in 2019 to more than 70,000 last year. A real game-changer is the new education therapy service, which was a commitment in the programme for Government that is now being realised. Earlier this month, I was pleased to announce details of the roll-out, with the first speech and language therapists and occupational therapists due to begin work in 45 special schools on a phased basis from April. I am pleased to inform the House that the initial recruitment campaign for 90 therapists is now closed, with interviews currently under way. There was a very good response with almost 200 candidates applying for posts, and interviews will be concluded early next month with panels formed and jobs offered. Further roll out of the service will occur on a phased basis.”
“The Government also appreciates that some children have more complex needs and require more intensive supports. That is why we now have 129 NCSE-supported special schools in this country, compared to 114 five years ago. Recognising the increased need we have seen in this country in recent years, more than 30,000 children are in specialist school settings today, compared with 18,000 just five years ago. That reflects the actions of a Government that cares about our children and young people with additional educational needs. We are also mindful that more nuanced and specialist supports are needed. The summer programme, previously known as July provision, has gone from strength to strength in recent years. We now have funding of €62 million to ensure that as many schools as possible can take part in the programme.”
“It would be useful to outline the resources that have been invested in special education over the past number of years. This year, we will invest more than €3 billion to support children. Funding has never been higher and now represents almost a quarter of the entire education budget. Our ambition is that the vast majority of children will be educated in mainstream schools alongside their siblings and peers, with supports, including special education teachers and SNAs, where required. We also know that some children need additional help, which is why we now have more than 3,700 special classes in our schools across the country, compared with 1,800 just five years ago. This will increase again in September to over 4,000 special classes.”
“That is why I fully understand why, over the last week, we have heard genuine concern and worry from SNAs, schools and parents about how they and their loved ones might be affected by any changes to school allocations. However, we have also heard a lot of misinformation about how the Government is supposedly cutting supports, undermining SNAs and failing to invest in our education system. It is important to bring clarity to these issues. This Government has nothing but respect for SNAs, teachers, special education teachers, schools, students and their families. I fully appreciate, endorse and share my Department’s insistence that special education policies are child-centred and designed to assist young people to thrive in school and to help them to reach their full potential.”
“These measures are that: all schools reviewed by the NCSE and allocated additional resources will receive them in the upcoming school year; no reductions will come into effect in the 2026-27 school year; and the SNA redeployment scheme, the SNA workforce development plan and changes to the 2014 circular outlining the role of a SNA will be advanced before any further decisions are taken. Working alongside almost 22,000 special education teachers, this September will see almost 25,000 SNAs in our schools playing a key role in supporting children and young people with care needs. Working hand in hand with teachers, SNAs are paramount in helping children to achieve.”
“As a teacher, I know the value of our SNAs, teachers and special education teachers. I know that children thrive in school thanks to the supports provided by those dedicated and hard-working school staff. I know how vital these dedicated staff are in helping young people gain independence and confidence in the classroom and in their studies. As a teacher, I could not stand over changes to special education services, particularly at a time when we know the needs are profound and when Government has repeatedly stated that improving the lives of people with a disability or a special educational requirement is a priority. That is why Government this week agreed a number of measures that will give clarity to schools, parents, young people and SNAs.”
“Over the course of a two-hour debate last night, I listened carefully to what colleagues had to say about the vital role played by special needs assistants, SNAs, in the lives of children and young people with special educational needs. Today, protests involving parents, teachers, SNAs and members of school communities will take place across the country. I know that people are angry and frustrated at what is being portrayed as the removal of essential supports for young people. That is why I want to restate this Government’s position. We are fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs and we will implement our programme for Government commitments to deliver on this objective. No cuts are or will be proposed to the provision of SNA support to children and young people across our school system.”
“-----this does not happen again. We want an education system where every child and young person feels and is valued, and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. This Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs. No cuts are proposed, or will be proposed-----”
“After these key documents are published, the NCSE can commence reviews of supports provided to schools for the 2027-2028 academic year which will uphold the integrity of the process, which allocates supports based on the needs of children. As is the case at any stage of the year, and indeed for any school, the NCSE will be available to support schools and discuss with them the deployment of SNA resources allocated to support their students and their care needs. Schools can also request a review of their allocation if care needs change.”
“There were also bilaterals with trade unions and meetings with a dedicated SNA workforce development group. Finally, a 2014 circular outlining the role of the SNA will be advanced and completed.”
“As I said earlier, the Government has agreed that three key documents are to be published in the near future which will provide additional clarity to the system. The first is the SNA redeployment scheme, long called for by SNAs and trade unions. This will provide a method by which SNAs can be redeployed around the school system to ensure we have the right resources in the right place. This scheme is near finalisation and was developed following significant stakeholder engagement to ensure it works for SNAs and schools. The second document is the SNA workforce development plan, developed following extensive discussion and engagement with SNAs and trade unions. Development of the plan involved 55 meetings of five working groups, each of which included two SNAs, one of whom was a trade union member.”
“There are also the obvious and best outcome cases where children, with the assistance of their special education teachers and SNAs, gain independence and no longer require the same level of support. These outcomes are what our system is designed to achieve. I reject the assertion that the NCSE operates, as one Member of this House has claimed, as an "unaccountable gatekeeper". Once a SENO has finished a school review, a national panel within the NCSE reviews this decision to ensure consistency and that care needs are being captured. If a school is not satisfied with the review, it can appeal it. This appeal is adjudicated by NCSE staff who were not involved in the original review. If a school is still not satisfied, it can request a further appeal from an independent panel, members of which are drawn from education stakeholder groups.”
“Parents who may have difficulty in completing this questionnaire are provided with contact details for the SENO tasked with completing the school review, so their child's needs can be documented. The review process also includes consultation with staff in the school, including class teachers, special education teachers, SNAs and principals. As I previously said, the NCSE works to retain supports for children, but circumstances arise which mean that an SNA may no longer be required. These include cases where a student or students with highly significant care needs leave the school or where children in receipt of support move to post-primary level or leave school.”
“There is no mindset in the NCSE to cut resources. The NCSE appreciates the complexities of school life and deploys leniency in its outcomes, working to retain supports available to children in schools. Among the information the NCSE requires to conduct a review are student support files for each young person. These files, which are compiled by the teacher, document an individual child's needs and their progress over time. They help inform the school in providing an appropriate level of support. Parents know what is best for their child. That is why, in addition to the student support plan, the NCSE asks that parents complete a questionnaire outlining the care needs of their child.”
“These SENOs undertake school reviews. The NCSE has always undertaken SNA reviews. In the 2024-2025 school year, around 1,400 reviews were conducted. In the current school year, some 1,000 reviews were completed. Schools are notified in advance of a review, and the NCSE undertakes a robust process to ensure that reviews are based on the care needs of an individual school because, as Members of the House are aware, SNAs are allocated to schools, and not individual children.”
“Clearly, there was no proposal to make SNAs redundant. It is disingenuous of any party in this House to say so. It is useful to speak to the role of the National Council for Special Education in this area. The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision and care support for children and young people with special educational needs in our schools. This includes the allocation of special needs assistant support to schools. I fully support the NCSE in its work. It is important to give some context on how the NCSE reviews take place. Special educational needs organisers, SENOs, are from various professional backgrounds and include occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, school principals, special education teachers, early intervention specialists, SNAs and mainstream class teachers.”
“I fully appreciate and endorse the need to ensure all special education policies are child-centred and designed to assist young people thrive in school and help them to reach their full potential. That is why the Government has provided more special education teachers and more SNAs, doubled the number of special classes, opened 16 new special schools in the last five years and massively increased investment in the summer programme, which has seen a threefold increase in its budget. To say that the Government is not funding resources for children with special educational needs is a mistruth. To say that the Government was proposing to make hundreds of SNAs redundant is simply wrong. To be clear, there are currently 23,179 SNAs working in schools across the country. Last year, there were 21,579. Next September, there will be 24,896 SNAs.”