SNA support for school pupil
Deputy Murphy O’Mahony raised the case of a girl with severe learning difficulties in Dunmanway who needs her own special needs assistant. The Minister said he would examine the details, noted a new approach to allocating SNA resources, and promised to follow up directly.
Tá mé buíoch go bhfuil an tAire, an Teachta McHugh, tagtha ar ais chun mo cheist a fhreagairt. The Minister's timing is great. If I may, I will direct my question to him.
Comment on this
In Dunmanway in west Cork, a little girl with severe learning difficulties was accepted to her local national school. That was great. Unfortunately, though, her backup services are not great. Before she started in the school, it had four special needs assistants, SNAs. There are still four even though she needs her own SNA. She must share them with the children who were already in the school. What is happening is difficult to see in this day and age. She has little support. This situation is also impinging on the other students in the school who need SNAs. I can send the Minister the details.
Comment on this
I would be anxious to get them. There has been a transformative change in the way we allocate SNA resources. We are trying to get away from individual assessments and placing pressure on parents to get individual reports completed. I will follow up this case directly with the Deputy.