I want to ask the Tánaiste about the SNA circular and the recent bad handling by the Department of a reorganisation of SNAs. It has caused huge upset within and without this House. I pay tribute to Michelle Cotterell, who is the principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel Boys' National School in Johnstown in my constituency. Ms Cotterell was one of the leaders in highlighting this issue. One of the reasons for that was that her school was one of the ones that got the really bad news about SNAs. I welcome the steps taken by the Government to stop this and to give some certainty to people until the end of the next academic year, but the reality is that is the extent of the certainty that they have been given. Already, SNAs and schools worry about what is going to happen in the following academic year. There are two issues that have emerged from this that we need to address urgently. The first is the redrafting and refocusing of Circular 30/14, which was reissued in 2024 and is totally out of date. The circular does not reflect the reality of what teachers are facing on the ground in terms of the difficulties that some students have and the accommodations that they need, and the assistance they need, much of which is provided through the SNA system. The circular does not reference the many conditions we know children now have to face - the difficulties and the obstacles they face in terms of achieving the same educational equality that we all want for all of our children. As a parent whose child has not yet started school, I know that as she approaches that age this will be a concern for us and for other parents in a similar position. Will the Tánaiste commit to the redesign and refocusing of that circular in a way that reflects what has to be done? Will he also answer the question in relation to what certainty can be provided on a longer term basis because, although the Government has stepped in and I am delighted that it did, we still have a job to do to convince SNAs, teachers, principals, parents and children that there is certainty in the longer term? The second point is perhaps a wider issue. I have put down questions in this House about what the cost would be of expanding the SNA provision and having a second adult in every classroom - a second pair of hands for every teacher. Although there are children who have more profound needs and may need more focused attention from an SNA, the notion that we have school classrooms the way they were 30 or 40 years ago is now an outdated model. We need to look at a situation where teachers have that assistance within the classroom from another adult and that should not be limited to classes where they can prove there is a specific need for a specific child. We should be looking at it from a policy perspective and saying there is a broader idea here that we should be giving teachers the back-up and support that they need and that means a second pair of hands in every room in addition to maybe targeted supports that are proven, through medical need or whatever it might be, in accordance with the circular. Nobody in the Department of education seems to be able to answer the question as to how much it would cost to have an SNA in every classroom in addition to whatever specific needs are tailored to the children in that classroom.

Sentiment score: 0.05

I thank the Tánaiste. One word he used in his answer is really important, and that is "understanding". The circular needs to represent an understanding of what teachers face and what school communities face in terms of the additional assistance they need to put in place. I attended a meeting earlier this week with approximately 30 principals from my constituency. One of the comments at that meeting was that the Government does not trust teachers. I do not think that is the case. There is an issue of trust with the Department and with officials because the reality is that, through the scheme, when teachers go to the Department and say they need X, Y or Z in terms of special needs assistants, what they get back is a load of paperwork asking them to prove it, essentially. We need to move, through the circular and through the scheme, to a place where we are trusting teachers, who are the professionals on the ground, the people with the training and the people with knowledge of the particular school community. When they say they need something, we should accept that they need it and are not saying it to make their lives easier or because they have picked a figure out of the air. Let us trust teachers, let us deliver for them and let us make sure that the children they are teaching are given the best possible opportunity to achieve what they can achieve in terms of their schooling.

Sentiment score: 0.29