I thank the Deputy for raising this sensitive matter before us. I assure him that clarity was brought on the issue of the SNA guidelines but there were some concerns in relation to them. Nothing has changed. We are working off the circulars for 2014 and that will continue to be case. I would like to allay the fears that some people have in relation to the guidelines and the letters issued last week. We understand the central roles that SNAs play in ensuring that students can access education and enable them to achieve the best possible outcomes. In a lot of instances, special education and education for children with additional needs is very much on the backs of special needs assistants and the work they do. On the issue the Deputy raised, the NCSE is responsible for co-ordinating and advising on educational provision for children with additional needs. We will have 23,000 SNAs working in our educational system by the end of this year. It is important that we have. The number of SNAs available for allocation has continued to increase annually. Budget 2025 provided for 1,600, which is the largest ever number. The NCSE manages the allocation of SNAs to schools and it is responsible for ensuring that these resources are allocated to children with the greatest level of need. The NCSE advised each school in June of their allocation for the 2025-26 school year. Each year schools are advised of their SNA supports, which indicates that the NCSE will undertake reviews to ensure that SNAs are allocated to the children with the greatest level of need. Such reviews can see an increased or reduced level of support or no change in allocation. This has always been part of the work of the council and is necessary to ensure that resources are allocated in line with the level of need. Regarding the issue that the Deputy raised, the NCSE advised me that it has been in communication with the school regarding the deployment of an SNA allocation and that the student is being provided with support at present. The school submitted a further request to the council. There were a number of issues with that request. The council went back to the school looking for further information. This information was received by the council on 15 September and the review is being processed. I assure the Deputy that I will liaise with the NCSE and the Department to make sure the review is done as speedily as possible and we can get back to him. I take the points the Deputy made relating to his constituent and the level of need that is there. I assure him that I will work with the NCSE to ensure there is a timely review of the matter and we can get back to him as soon as it is completed.

Sentiment score: 0.29

I take the Deputy's point and thank him for putting the matter relating to Tiernan and his care needs on the record of the Dáil. I could give him a long-winded answer, but I take the point he has made and I assure him I understand the importance of SNAs in enabling students like Tiernan across the country to access education and get better outcomes. I undertake to consult the NCSE and liaise with the Deputy in a timely manner. I will ask for the review to completed and will certainly bring the matters he has put on the record of the Dáil. I understand as well that documentation is with the NCSE, through the school authorities. I will certainly liaise with the Deputy if that is okay.

Sentiment score: 0.46

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The question was about the impact of the delays in the Cavan-Monaghan area. I can speak to the amount of work being done by SNAs, which I have spoken about in response to Deputy Ó Murchú's matter, and the commitment of the Government to SNAs. Special education is built on the huge commitment by SNAs the length and breadth of the country and I thank them for the work they do. The NCSE makes these decisions. When the Deputy was going through the events there, he said he submitted an OT report in relation to Sonny. What date was that report? The Deputy might come back to me in his supplementary contribution. I want to get the facts. I have all the other dates here relating to this case, but the Deputy mentioned he submitted, on behalf of the family, an occupational therapist's report to the NCSE and I would appreciate that. If the Chair will allow I will give time to him to outline the case out of my time. I will endeavour to try to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion. When parents contact the NCSE about the needs of their children they are constantly asking what the best possible outcome is, whether it is mainstream, a special class or a special school. They are constantly worried about whether the right supports are in the school and whether their child will be able to survive in the school environment. In the cases of a lot of children with additional and complex needs, parents will constantly say that if there is an SNA there, they will be able to encourage the child, help them and ensure they are integrated into the school as best as possible. I understand that. I also understand very specifically the importance of the SNA role in schools and of course for the families as well. I will work with the Deputy. He mentioned this to me during Private Members' business the other week. I will work with him and the NCSE to see if we can get a resolution to this. I can understand the frustration about the dates he has given me. I would appreciate it if he could give me as many of the dates as possible. If he could put the dates on the record, I will endeavour as a matter of urgency to address this. I understand from my previous conversations with the Deputy and with the NCSE that officials were working with the school to resolve these issues. I will go back again. It might be this afternoon before I get a chance to do it, but I will certainly go back to them. I would appreciate it if the Deputy could give the date of the OT's report. Then if there is any further information he wants to put on I will take it on board.

Sentiment score: 0.23

I thank the Deputy. First, when a child is in preschool and is availing of the AIM programme, something I noticed when I got this role was that in the Department of children and the Department of Social Protection the information that was across the system was not being shared. Children who are in preschool and availing of the programme should be very much taken into account when they start off in primary school as well. The Deputy mentioned the dates. I have the dates. The one thing I was not sure of when I went back was if the OT report was only submitted on 9 June, but the Deputy has clarified that. It may have been submitted prior to the application. I will endeavour to go back. I had discussions with the NCSE regarding this issue since he first raised it with me and I will endeavour to bring clarity on it as soon as possible. I take the points he has raised very earnestly and I will endeavour to help in this situation. I give an undertaking to do that and we will come back to him when I have an update.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the crisis in the youth services in the north inner city, which gives me an opportunity to set out the position regarding these services. Supporting youth services is an absolute priority for the Department of Education and Youth, ensuring that young people in the north inner city of Dublin and across the country have access to valuable resources and opportunities. The UBU your place your space, scheme is the Department’s largest funded youth scheme. It targets young people aged between ten and 24 who are identified as marginalised, vulnerable and at risk of not flourishing. A budget of €50.7 million was allocated under the UBU scheme in 2025, representing a 6% increase on budget 2024. Over €17 million of the UBU scheme has been allocated to the City of Dublin Education and Training Board in its capacity as a grant administering body in respect of the scheme. More specifically, €2.8 million was allocated to five UBU youth services that support young people in the north inner city. This year, in addition to the base allocation of the UBU funding, the Department is providing a further support of €170,000 in recognition of the challenges facing the youth services to address the needs of young people in the north inner city. The aim of this additional funding was to provide additional youth services in the north east inner city, NEIC, to ensure that young people who are marginalised, disadvantaged or vulnerable are afforded the opportunity to participate in voluntary youth services to support their wellbeing. The Department is also represented in the north east inner city's task force, including its various subgroups. The Department participates in subgroup 3, which focuses on supporting children, young people and family wellbeing. A key objective of the current NEIC strategic plan, being led by subgroup 3, is to develop a strategic plan for youth work and youth services in the area. Department officials are working closely with the NEIC structures to progress and support this objective. The Department funds the NEIC city connects pilot project, currently running in ten NEIC primary schools and eight schools serving children of post-primary age who live in the north east inner city. City connects organises student support and leverages existing school and community-based resources to improve students' academic and social-emotional outcomes. This includes relevant youth services in the area. Working together with the city connects team, some youth services in the area have been able to adapt or change the services they provide to ensure they are meeting the strengths, interests and needs of young people based on information provided by these young people to the city connects team. The Department is actively engaged in reviewing and strengthening the youth work services in the north inner city to ensure they are responsive to the evolving needs of young people, inclusive in their reach and effectively resourced.

Sentiment score: 0.35

I thank the Deputy for his second contribution. As outlined, the Department provides significant support to the UBU scheme for youth services that support young people in the north inner city. Many communities across the length and breadth of the country are looking for the same intervention as has happened in the north east inner city and north inner city. They are looking at resources that I outlined in the previous answer, including the €50.7 million and other funding that has been put in place. I take the point that we have to look at the outcomes. The Deputy also made a point about people turning their lives around and the number of young people who have successfully done that. There might be very few, but every success is a success. I assure him that the Department of Education and Youth is very much aware of the marginalised and vulnerable, and those at risk of not flourishing. One key issue before us as a State is the percentage of people who, because of intergenerational issues, including crime and drugs, are outside the State or not really engaging in education or with services, which is a key objective. We have seen an increase in the budget for this over recent years. There are other disadvantaged communities, which have been raised by other Deputies in the House. It is important that while we continue to support and invest in these communities and ensure that the marginalised and vulnerable are given an opportunity to flourish and move forward with their lives, we take stock of how these programmes are working and whether the outcomes are successful, and if not, we have to tweak them to make sure that we have the best possible outcomes for the people involved. I will endeavour, within the Department, to work with the Deputy to get as much funding and targeted measures as possible.

Sentiment score: 0.20