Michael Moynihan
Cork North-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I cannot emphasise enough the respect that the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and I have for special needs assistants and the contribution they make to education. In March, we met the SNAs to have further engagement and consultation with them and to understand their roles.”
“We are very conscious of the issue. A huge number of groups that I have met over the past while, particularly on the dyslexia side, have all been discussing assistive technologies. That is also the case for children who are non-communicative and non-verbal. Assistive technologies are extremely important for them.”
“By way of background, 85% of the applications processed for assistive technology between January and June have been approved. We are always conscious of those who fall outside the scheme.”
“The approximate cost to the State per mainstream pupil is currently €1,400 annually, while the cost to the family is €100 per pupil. The total cost of the school transport system in 2025 was €537 million, equating to almost €3 million being spent on the provision of school transport per day.”
“I thank the Deputy. We are looking at ways to ensure that if there is a ticket issued, it will be used. Anecdotally, the Deputy and other colleagues tell us about school routes the length and breadth of the country that have spare capacity but, when we look at the system, all of the tickets on that particular school route are occupied and…”
“Under the current scheme, schools receive funding towards computers and specialised equipment required for educational purposes. To qualify, a student must have a diagnosis of a physical or commutative disability and a professional assessment confirming the equipment is essential to access the curriculum.”
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“I thank Senator Andrews for raising the issues in relation to the schools in Westland Row and Ringsend. In the overall sense, the Department has a number of funding streams in emergency funding and summer works funding to deal with ongoing maintenance issues. The Senator outlined the issues in relation to downpipes and toilets. I understand the challenges when you are working in a building that is old and needs constant upgrading. That can dampen the spirit not alone of the teams teaching and working there, the SNAs and all the other teams, but also of the students. There was engagement with CBS Westland Row over the past while and there is continuing engagement on it. The summer works scheme was developed a number of years ago to try to ensure there would be a funding stream for remedial work to schools.”
“I thank the Deputy once again for raising these issues in relation to north Tipperary, and we will engage further on them.”
“The Deputy also again very forcibly raised other issues in Roscrea, in Coláiste Mhuire, in Newport and in relation to the school in Nenagh. I will go back, and then endeavour to come back to the Deputy directly on those issues. We will undertake to get a meeting as soon as possible. The education and training boards, ETBs, are doing huge work in terms of being the project managers for many projects across the country, and I thank them for that. I also thank the school communities the Deputy mentioned, and school communities the length and breadth of the country, for the amount of work they are doing. I refer to the leadership in the schools, the boards of management, and how they are trying to make sure they are giving the best possible education to their school communities.”
“There is ongoing engagement. We have given information in terms of the projects that are going to go ahead. As always, there is constant engagement with all parties to make sure we understand and deliver. We want to constantly deliver in terms of education in respect of our projects moving across the country. Deputies from all sides of the House have identified challenges that we have, no more so than in the previous Topical Issue matter I dealt with. There is ongoing engagement in the Department at all times in relation to how we can move other projects on. I will give a commitment that we will organise a meeting with all Deputies. I take the point that the Deputy has taken this issue out of the political domain and that he wants to have the entirety of the constituency involved in it. I take that point, so I will organise that meeting.”
“We have ongoing work in the Department on school projects. The commitment I will give is to go back and try to get direct answers on the four schools the Deputy raised.”
“We are spending money and we must ensure we get the best possible value for it. I will endeavour to go back to the Department about the schools the Deputy mentioned and try to come back with some meaningful discussion on what is happening with the four schools. We visited north Tipperary some time earlier. If I had a second I could nearly put a date on it, but we had a very successful visit to north Tipperary that day. It was, dare I say it, one of the great moments I have had since being appointed. I note the schools the Deputy has raised and will endeavour to go back to the Department. I will report back to him fully on those schools. On the overall side we have put a huge amount into the national development plan to invest in education because we believe every penny invested in education is the right thing to do.”
“I do not know the exact issue as I have not been there, but he mentioned the issue of using the gym as a classroom. I have serious concerns about the challenges we have in the education system. We are not looking at the hallaí, as they are called in most schools, or the gyms to turn them into classrooms in the short term. That can only be a short-term solution because all these buildings are important infrastructure for the education of young people. We have spent a huge amount in north Tipperary over the past number of years, in terms of the projects that have been delivered. There is also a huge number of other projects we are doing. We are upgrading, over the course of 2026-27, about 10% of the school estate. There is serious investment by Government in the form of capital expenditure.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. We published the plan indicating the amount we will put into the NDP and the sectoral plan on education over the next three or four years. While we have the large figures and a huge amount of capital investment in it, and we announced which schools would be going over the next while, there is continuing engagement in the Department. The Deputy has raised four schools and the challenge we have is to ensure that when commitments are given by the Department to build, extend and refurbish schools, those commitments are honoured. We must either give commitments to say we are doing it or hold back on them until such time as we can meaningfully deliver on them. The Deputy raised Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré, Coláiste Mhuire Co-Ed, Nenagh CNS and Newport College. He outlined the issues in relation to Nenagh.”
“I give a commitment to go back to the Department and engage very seriously with the officials and my senior colleague to make sure this project moves forward. I give an undertaking as well to visit the school for a variety of reasons. I have a personal interest in it. I would like to see Ballyfermot moving forward as well. It is the right thing to do, not just for the school communities who have amalgamated and the school authorities who have engaged in a very good faith way to amalgamate but also for the education of the communities in Ballyfermot into the future. I undertake to visit and also to engage seriously with the Department to try to make sure this project moves forward and that there are tangible and measurable steps taken to ensure we bring it to amalgamation and to construction.”
“I certainly will take up the invitation to visit the school as soon as is humanly possible. I know there is a lot of great work going on at all levels of education within the school campuses. On foot of this debate, we need to make sure that the practical steps are being taken as regards the project team and planning permission, and on to other work. We need to make sure that we have sight of this and that there is meaningful engagement between the Department and the school communities. There is always huge excitement with amalgamations but we must follow that up with actions. There are particular building blocks to make sure a project is completed or started so we need to make sure that those blocks are in place and that there is real, tangible movement.”
“I would love to see this project moving forward for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, for the communities and people and future direction of education for the people of Ballyfermot. I take into consideration the commitment the community has to special education. I will make a few more comments in my closing remarks.”
“I know the expertise, commitment and determination of the people involved in relation to it, and how they want to see this through. They are true educators and people who are really seriously committed, not just about making sure they have the day-to-day running but having the future education requirements of the greater Ballyfermot area at heart. l undertake, as a result of this Topical Issue this morning, to re-engage with the Department to ensure decisions are made in a timely manner, to ensure this project can move forward and to give substance to the commitment that was given at the start of the amalgamation process, that this would be dealt with in a timely manner.”
“It is always fiercely exciting when the Department comes in and says, "If you do an amalgamation, we will ensure the project is moving forward at pace.” We need to make sure that does happen and that in terms of getting school boards of management and communities to amalgamate together, we follow up with decisions in a timely manner. This campus is aimed at providing over 1,000 places for second level education, which is hugely important. My commitment is that we will go back and re-engage, and I will take the concerns the Deputies raised. I will also take my own personal commitment to and involvement with the school. I could nearly name some of the teachers who taught in St. John's over many years, including people from my own community.”
“The Minister, Deputy Naughton met recently with the school principal and representatives and both Deputies have been engaging constantly with the school management on this issue. This is a hugely innovative, proactive and exciting project for Ballyfermot, St. John's and indeed, the entire region. My commitment to the Deputies is that the school building project is currently planned to be delivered as part of phase 2 of the Department's ADAPT 4 innovative programme. I take their points on when the amalgamation was coming forward.”
“I thank the Deputies for raising the issue in relation to the secondary school in Ballyfermot. From childhood, I have heard of the St. John's College on Le Fanu Road, Ballyfermot, so it is no stranger to me. I know the school. I have been in the school a number of times in a private capacity, and I have also met with some of the team there in different roles over the past 12 months. I take the opportunity of thanking the Deputies for raising the issue. They spoke about the three colleges coming together, St. John's, St. Dominic's and Caritas College, and amalgamating two sites and bringing them to St. John's College and Le Fanu Road site as the planned location for the new school building, which has the junior element of the amalgamated schools, and St. Dominic’s College, which is the senior element.”
“These are the three key pieces we need to get right and we have to make sure that we do that in an holistic way so that people have confidence in it and understand the challenges that exist. Going back about 20 or 25 years when the SNAs were brought into the schools, Ireland was one of the first countries in Europe to advance that policy. Others have done so since, but we have to make sure that our policies are correct and implemented properly. I thank the Senators for their indulgence and I look forward to working with Members across the Houses to ensure that we can have the education system that all of our citizens deserve.”
“Over my time as a public representative, I have seen the outcomes for children where they get the best possible education. Sometimes, unfortunately, we have put that together piecemeal in terms of how we roll out the policy, but we have, by and large, put a huge amount of money into it. I know that Members of the Houses work with the NCSE and the Department in a professional way. There are three fundamental blocks that we have to bring. Members spoke about building trust. I think we can do so. From the engagement the Minister and I have had over the last number of weeks, we are serious about making sure that what happened recently will never happen again and that we build trust within the SNA community. We have the workforce development plan, the redeployment and the circular.”
“Members outlined the concerns of families who had corresponded with them. Each year, we have an issue with special education. This year, we wanted to bring forward the date from 1 February to 1 October so that we could plan better. We have to do so to ensure that children with additional needs and their families and guardians are treated in the same way and that they are given certainty. We have a huge need right across the country. Actually, it is not just in Ireland, but right across the OECD countries that we have sight of. I shudder to think about what is happening in the undeveloped countries because of the challenges that exist. If there are things that keep me awake at night, it is that in terms of the entire holistic education.”
“When I was appointed last year, I believed that destiny had brought me to this because I had such an in-depth knowledge of the system. I was proud to serve with Senators Tully and Flynn on the disability committee during the term of the previous Dáil and Seanad. They were second to none in relation to the advancement that we made at that time. I believe that I have a unique insight into it, and it would be lessening the job I have if I did not bring every ounce of energy that I have to it to make sure that we have a better education system. I listened to the debate while the Minister, Deputy Naughton, was here and since I joined the debate I have listened to the contributions of all Members, as I did in Dáil Éireann during the Private Members' time and the statements.”
“It is one of the brilliant schools that provides for special education requirements and the special needs assistants and the entire teaching community there are second to none. Their engagement is constant, whether at the school gate or when I meet them in clinics, socially or whatever. They are constantly looking for how they can do more for their communities and for the children, and that applies the length and the breadth of the country. Senator Noonan mentioned a school in his community that I was working with in relation to it. It is important that we acknowledge the school leadership, teachers, SNAs and the entire school communities for what they are doing for special education the length and breadth of the country. The last couple of weeks have been extremely difficult for SNAs, families and school communities.”
“The first thing I do when I meet SNAs is tell them that it is on their backs that we have built special education. I am honoured to have been a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas for almost 29 years. I remember when I started first that it was people on community employment, CE, schemes who were providing special education needs within the education system. I have seen the advancement of it. I know that some people whom I deal with on a daily basis were at the very core of that when it was starting, in terms of their engagement with unions and others on the advancement of special education and the many challenges that were faced over the last 20 or so years. If Senators indulge me further, St. Joseph's school in Liscarroll is where Paddy goes to school.”
“It is not something I have addressed before in the Houses of the Oireachtas, but it is normal for people to mention when special needs education has a direct impact on their families, that is, my family. If Senators indulge me for a moment, I am the proud parent of an 11-year-old non-verbal son, and he goes to school because of an SNA. Please bear with me for a second. Each afternoon when we get a text to say what type of day he has had in school, it encourages us for the rest of the day. For this reason, I fully understand the challenges being faced by many families right across the country. The work being done by SNAs the length and breadth of the country is second to none. I have visited over 120 schools in the 12 months since my appointment.”
“I thank everyone here and in Dáil Éireann for their contributions over the last number of weeks. I compliment all Members on all sides for their interest in, and commitment to, special education. I would also like to compliment many of the councillors across the country who have contacted me directly. It heartens me that, as public representatives from all parties and none, we have such an understanding of special education and of what is needed and what is right. It is fair to say that this might not be universal across the country. I would have concerns about some attitudes that are out there but I thank Members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann and members of local authorities for their engagement and the sincerity with which they have contacted us.”
“I take the point raised in relation to the local campaign group but my clear understanding from what I have been told by the Department is that there is ongoing communication between the ERST and the various partners in education to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. Synge Street becoming a Gaelcholáiste will be of huge benefit to the communities mentioned in Dublin 2, 4 and 6. We have other communities within Dublin and right across the country that the Department is engaging with also. I take the Senator's concerns but I assure him that the Department is working closely to make sure this transition is as seamless as possible in September 2026.”
“The Government and the Department are very committed to this project. This project has received huge coverage. Synge Street CBS is known not just in Dublin, but right across the country in terms of the school's history and so forth. I take the Senator's point fully. Across Dublin and the rest of the country, communities are coming together looking for Gaelcholáistí and Gaelscoileanna. The specific unit in the Department that looks at these matters advises schools to go year by year because it is a big undertaking for any school to go from a single-sex school to a co-educational school and from the medium of English to the medium of Irish. My understanding is that there is huge engagement with the relevant parties.”
“The Synge Street CBS patrons and the future patrons of the Gaelcholáiste, the ERST and other relevant parties have been kept informed of the Department’s proposed works. It is worth noting that, while conducting a survey of the available space in the bunscoil, it came to the Department’s attention that a private language school not connected with the Department was utilising space within the building without the knowledge of the Department. The patrons have been notified of our Department’s requirement for this space also.”
“While the acquisition of the monastery is not part of the Department’s project plan, the relevant sections within my Department have been notified of the intention of the Christian Brothers to sell the property in the near future. In relation to the Gaelcholáiste, my Department has identified the necessary work to be carried out on Synge Street CBS to enable it to transition from an English-medium, single-sex post-primary school to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a gradual basis over the next five years. In the meantime, my Department intends to utilise available space in Bunscoil Synge Street, a Gaelscoil on the same site as the future Gaelcholáiste. The bunscoil will require some minor realignment work, which will take place over the summer months.”
“The anticipated work that will be required is currently being reviewed by the Department. It is intended to advance these accommodation requirements as quickly as possible and the necessary work will be completed in time for the Gaelcholáiste to receive its first students in September 2026. With respect to the Christian Brothers' monastery located close to Synge Street CBS, the Department of education has no plans to acquire this property from the Christian Brothers. There is already extensive and adequate school provision at the Synge Street site. For this reason, the monastery mentioned by Senator Andrews does not form part of the Department’s plans for the Gaelcholáiste.”
“I thank Senator Andrews. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss Synge Street CBS becoming a Gaelcholáiste. The Department of Education and Youth is working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, ERST, to ensure the successful transition of Synge Street CBS to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis. The first phase of this transition will involve the first year intake only, which will take place in September 2026. The work has included regular communications and meetings between the parties involved in the transition to a Gaelcholáiste, including the Department of education. In regard to the accommodation requirements of the school, officials from the Department have visited the school and conducted an assessment of the its immediate needs. A project manager has been appointed to oversee these accommodation requirements.”
“We have to take into consideration all the demographic analysis we have done and all the information we have to ensure we are not back here again next year or the year after that. There are particular pockets of the country where primary school education is challenging, notwithstanding the decrease in the number of students in primary school. In other parts of the country, other issues have developed. In relation to the school the Deputy referenced and Portmarnock in general, I assure the Deputy that we are monitoring the position and engaging with all the school authorities, the education sector and the education partners to make sure we do the right thing. I have some background information which I will share with the Deputy, if that is helpful.”
“Modular accommodation was approved for the school in question last May. It is near completion in relation to special education classrooms as well. I have looked at the enrolments and staffing in the school. I can share that information on enrolments from 2020 to date with the Deputy. I assure him that the Minister and I are acutely aware of this issue. We look at where the pressures are in primary and post-primary education. There are specific counties where there is a huge challenge at post-primary level and specific parts of the country that have challenges in relation to primary school education. Portmarnock is one of the latter group. We are working to make sure we have practical solutions in place, not just for September 2026 but right through. We need to plan properly for the future.”
“In the 2025-26 school year, there are 7,000 fewer primary school students in the system than there were in the 2024-25 school year. I accept that that is of little benefit to Portmarnock, an area in which the population is growing enormously. I assure the Deputy that we will monitor this very carefully and try to do what we need to do.”
“While the Department is aware of the enrolment pressures and the demand for additional school places in some areas, including Portmarnock, it is important to note that enrolment pressures can be driven by a number of issues. To return to the issue the Deputy raised, I know from his engagement and the engagement of others with the Department, and from a number of families I know from the area who have been engaging, that there are huge challenges. Portmarnock is one of the areas of the country where there is huge growth. The Deputy mentioned housing estates being developed and the number of children in particular estates. We are acutely aware of that. I assure the Deputy that the Department is keeping a very close eye on the matter. It is continuously looking at where the pressures are.”
“The data provides the overview for future school place demand. The child benefit data is then adjusted with localised data on the age of the first enrolment to account for patterns of movement where children are known to typically cross school planning area boundaries to enrol in schools. A huge amount of data is being gathered from the Department of Social Protection and elsewhere to identify where the challenges are. As regards the issue the Deputy raised, Portmarnock's school planning area has five primary schools. The demographic analysis for primary level shows projections for Portmarnock will peak in 2027. Furthermore, the actual 2025-26 enrolments for Portmarnock's special planning area were less than were projected for the 2025-26 school year.”
“To plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system using data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, CSO, census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressures for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary levels. The Department produces demographic projections based primarily on the child benefit data, which is made available from the Department of Social Protection. It addresses details for all children aged from birth to five years living in the State and in receipt of child benefit. This is used as a basis for projection of future junior infant intake at primary level.”
“I thank the Deputy and welcome the opportunity to speak on St. Marnock's National School in Portmarnock, County Dublin. The Deputy has been liaising with the Department in relation to this issue. The school is under the patronage of the Archdiocese of Dublin and is in the Portmarnock school planning area. Last September, the school had an enrolment of 638 pupils and 26 mainstream teachers, three special class teachers, one learning support teacher, one administrative deputy principal, seven special education tutors and one shared special education tuition post.”
“The opening of the school in Monaghan in the current school year was a welcome initiative. I know it was welcomed by all the community. I understand the parents who met the Minister when she visited and I know families who have children in the particular school. I assure the Deputy that I am constantly looking at how we plan for the future to have a system in place in the Department and in all of the other education stakeholders to make sure we future-proof the system. I take the points made by him. I assure him this is not the first time the special school in Monaghan has come across my desk. I have been constantly engaging with all local representatives on it and I will continue to do so. I take the points on board.”
“I take the point and it is crucial. A lot of planning and work has gone into opening 16 special schools in recent years. This was coming on the back of the State not providing special schools over the years because of international policy, and we can debate this left, right and centre. I was chair of the education committee 20 years ago when there was mainstreaming. There are a number of issues we have to catch up with. We have moved the date from 1 February to 1 October to bring greater certainty to families. I know the pressure that families are under when they are looking for a special class space or a special school place, and the enormous strain and pressure on the family and the wider family in this regard. I have dealt with many families and been advising and helping them over many years on this.”
“We also need to plan to make proper accommodation available for students who require specialist education places such as are offered in special schools.”
“The site in question was a former ETB building, which was repurposed to get it into use in as fast a time as possible to ensure the 18 children could attend. Some of the children travel long distances in Cavan and Monaghan; I am aware of some of the families and have engaged with them on it. We keep under review needs and requirements, particularly in special education. In recent years we have built almost 16 new special schools and more will follow to meet the capacity. We are keeping under constant consideration the school in Castleblayney. I thank the school authorities for the excellent work they have done in opening and facilitating the families. They have been engaging with the Department and we want to continue this. We keep under constant review the accommodation needs and not only from September to September.”
“The National Council for Special Education is the statutory body in this regard. Over recent years a huge amount of expansion has taken place not only in special schools but in special classes also. This will continue for the 2026-27 school year. Work is under way on a large number of classes. With regard to the Monaghan special school, the Deputy is correct that a huge effort was put in by families and their supporters over a continuous time, particularly during the previous Dáil. As chair of the disability committee at the time, I was acutely aware of the challenges there. In his opening statement, he alluded to having special schools in the community because far too many children travel long distances for specialised school places throughout the country.”
“The project was delivered under the Department’s SEN reconfiguration and modular accommodation programme, which facilitated the school opening as quickly as possible. The programme involves the use of the project management support which is designed to enable accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible to help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to management and delivery of the projects. This is a collaborative process between the project manager, school authorities and the Department. The project manager is overseeing the delivery of residue elements to ensure the successful completion of the project. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, visited the school recently and was very impressed with the facilities, the quality of teaching and the commitment of all the staff and the students under their care.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Monaghan Community Special School is one of five new special schools established in the most recent school year. It is operating under the patronage of the Cavan Monaghan ETB. The school supports 18 children and young people aged between four and 18 with a diagnosis of autism and complex needs, or students with complex learning needs with a professional recommendation for placement in a special school. The staffing comprises an administrative principal, administrative deputy principal, five class teachers, nine special needs assistants together with ten co-operation hours per week. The new school is located in Castleblayney in a former ETB school property, which was repurposed to facilitate the opening of the new school.”
“However, as we did last year, we will work every single hour that God gives us to do the right thing by the children and the families and by the teachers and the SNAs who support them. If we do that right and if we put investment into special education, when we look at our society in 20 or 25 years' time, we will see that investment having reaped a positive reward. I assure the House that we get this. We understand it. We are going to make sure we have the best possible system of special education into the future.”
“It just says "great day" or "good day". That is the information the special needs assistant feeds back to our family. That is the information that every family who has a child with additional needs is getting. That is the respect the families have. I want to thank each and every one of the nearly 25,000 SNAs who work the length and breadth of the country for their commitment. We should look at how special education has been funded over the last 15, 20 or 25 years, at the commitment being given to teachers and SNAs and, more importantly, at the governments that have continuously invested in the area. There will always be challenges. This year alone, there is a challenge arising from the huge numbers that have come forward.”
“Of course, it was being worked on before but we now have to complete that piece of work. There has been huge engagement on the workforce development plan between all concerned. There is a myth out there that there has been no engagement. We know what is happening in schools. We know the need that is manifesting itself and how we are going to meet it. I assure the House that Government knows and is working on it tooth and nail. In the context of all of the correspondence, the negotiations and everything that has been said over the week, it is important to note that we are increasing the workforce by 1,700 again this year. It is important that we understand and note that. All of us bring a level of expertise from our own personal journeys to this House. During the debate today, a text came in, as it does every day at 2.35 p.m.”
“On the redeployment scheme, almost half of the Members who spoke mentioned the 2014 circular. We must be very mindful of the fact that the 2014 circular enabled us to grow the SNA workforce by 14,000 over 12 years. We must strengthen it and look at the concerns that are being raised but it is also important to acknowledge that there has been a huge expansion in the education system since that circular was issued. Concern was expressed in relation to the redeployment scheme and SNAs. The scheme has been talked about quite a lot. There have been a lot of intensive negotiations between the Department and the various stakeholders. We must bring that to a conclusion and finalise it. That is another crucial piece of the plan. SNAs deserve that. It is a commitment in the programme for Government and has been committed to elsewhere.”
“In talking to SNAs in the special schools and special classes I have been to right across the country, including St. Michael's House Special National School Baldoyle, which I visited yesterday, I thank them sincerely for the work they do. There is uniformity across the place in that they all say they love their jobs. We should acknowledge that and the role they play. Since my appointment last year, I have visited over 120 schools and I have seen the same level of commitment right across the country. The value we place on SNAs is second to none, as is the respect that I, the Government and all of us have for them. They are a crucial piece of the jigsaw in ensuring that children have the best possible outcomes. Three things came up constantly yesterday evening and again today.”
“We will be able to equip children with the best possible outcomes in life and they will be the best possible people they can be. It is important we continue to acknowledge that investment and make sure we are delivering it in the best place possible. Deputies will know that after intensive negotiations over the past weekend, there will be no SNA reductions for this year. If any school has identified a need for next year, the resources will be made available to them. That is hugely important. There is an old Irish saying that, "It takes a village to raise a child". It is hugely important we apply that to the school communities as well. School communities are made up of teachers, SNAs and other support staff. These SNAs provide absolute support for children. Many Members spoke about SNAs' dedication and commitment to their work.”
“I thank all Members who contributed to the debate over the past number of hours. It is a reflection of the commitment of all Deputies in relation to special education. The work in the communities was very much reflected in the contributions I have heard. Supporting children with additional education is very much at the core of the Government's values. We have put a huge amount of investment into it. Going back over many years, there has been huge investment in it. There has been unprecedented investment in special needs assistants and right across the education system. We have to make sure we are meeting the needs of the most vulnerable children. As I said on many occasions, whatever we invest in special education right across the special education sector, the State will benefit enormously in future life.”