The very angry and shocked protests of my former primary school helped to highlight the severity of the impact of the SNA cuts that the Government was planning. The Minister of State may have seen the protest by Johnstown National School on Tuesday evening on RTÉ. Of course, it was just one of many schools that experienced these attacks. Fair play to the teachers, SNAs, and parents who came out and protested. In that school alone, the number of SNAs was going to drop from nine to fewer than four. I met with all of the teachers, parents, SNAs and the principal of my former school this week. They were absolutely gutted and shocked. They could not believe that this would be even considered. They want to know what will happen now. Pauses are all very well, but these people are now in limbo, waiting to know whether the Government is going to abandon these cuts, which would be very severe, damaging and detrimental to the welfare of children with special needs, other children in their classes, SNAs and teachers. They all want to know that the Government is going to abandon these cuts.

Sentiment score: -0.29

It is really not clear, but it seems as if the SNAs and, therefore, the children for whom they provide support and, consequently, all of the other children in their classes and all of the teachers, are still in the crosshairs. All we have is a pause because people expressed such outrage, anger and shock. I should mention another school in my area. All Saints, a small school in Blackrock, has lost its only SNA. There will be no SNA there at all now. That is absolutely unacceptable. The care needs of the children have not changed. They need the same support they had previously and we need that commitment from the Government.

Sentiment score: -0.05