I am always encouraged when we have cross-party Members bringing issues to the floor of the Dáil, and the sincerity of it. At the outset, I know of the school the Deputies are referring to, and I have engaged with the principal previously on some issues. Deputy Lahart brought this to my attention last week as well. I will talk through the issues. I have a script that will be handed out, and Members can take that as read. I want to talk through the issues. Deputy Lahart gave further information on an issue. Deputy Crowe mentioned 40 minutes between the taking and giving back of an SNA. I need further clarification from all of the Deputies on that. I want to understand this. We were in St. Michael’s House in Baldoyle this morning. I have visited many special schools and I know the enormity of the work they do there and the huge complex care and medical needs of children across the system. The work that is being done there is second to none in regard to the school leadership, teachers and SNAs. A lot of the SNAs, as Deputy Ahern pointed out, are doing enormous work in regard to it. While the SNA review has been paused, we need to get under the bonnet in regard to this issue. I need to get an understanding of it. I am really concerned that, when you have special schools and the complex needs that are being presented in special schools, the school the Deputies referred to and every other one are going way above and beyond the call of duty in regard to the administration of it. If it is possible, and when it is convenient to all four Deputies, I might convene a meeting with them. I would ask them to bring as much information as possible on the matter. I can give the stock answer the Deputies have received there but that is not sufficient in terms of what they are looking for. As I understand it, the Deputies' concern is about additional SNA support but also a particular SNA or one who may have qualifications. They are non-medical but they would have qualifications. I want to be very clear. We understand what the challenges and the issues are. In the Deputies' closing contributions, they might dig a small bit deeper until they get to the exact medical needs that were presented but were not taken into account. I might take it that, when the letter was issued on 11 February, the principal returned documentation by email to the NCSE at that point and then the subsequent letter was withdrawn 40 minutes later. The Deputies might confirm that for me and, if it is possible at a convenient time for all four of them, we could meet, try to thrash it out and try to come, first of all, to an understanding of what the issues are. I have no difficulty because I believe a part of my job that is very fundamental is that I should be out looking at what is happening in special schools, and I do not have any difficulty in visiting that school either. I have engaged with the principal previously but maybe if the Deputies expand on that point in the short few minutes they have, I will try to respond to it. Then we could have a further meeting to expand on that.

Sentiment score: 0.14

In the few minutes available to me, I will say that I will meet with the Deputies and further engage with the principal as well because we did engage. I will go through that. The worrying thing is that because there is one student or students within it - we will just say "students" - there is a medical need that is developing within the school and that has become more profound or needy. Is one of the issues that this was not taken into account? I will go back in relation to it. I know that all the forms, including consent forms, are hard won in special schools because of the complexity of what has to be put on them. Parents have a lot of other challenges in regard to having children with profound needs and trying to meet those. That is something I will certainly look at. Am I clear in saying that they are looking for a particular type of support within the school? When special schools are looked at, the ratio of staff to pupils is quite high because of the complex needs within the schools. The Deputies will know from working in their communities that some of the special schools are providing very high-end medical care as well within the school communities. It is not fair to say that there are ratios of 2:1. That can vary depending on the needs of the child. What I will undertake is that I will meet with the Deputies. We could liaise with the principal and the school authorities as well during the meeting to get a sense of it. There is not much point in my standing up here, but we are committed to this and very serious about it. I am desperately serious about trying to do the right thing here and what I will do is undertake to liaise with the Deputies and the school community. I am glad to see they had the bit of investment but we have to continue that investment in the overall sense. To get an understanding of this particular issue, I will engage with the Deputies and we will take it from there.

Sentiment score: 0.19