Some of the words being used by parents, special needs assistants, SNAs and teachers alike in the past few days are "panic", "fear" and "anger". They are beside themselves with worry after schools received letters informing them of the decision of the Government to cut their SNA allocations. We have heard of schools losing as many as five or six SNAs. These cuts will be devastating for children with additional needs who depend on their SNAs to cope with challenges, to be included, to learn, to progress and to reach their full potential in school. The Government will now rip that support away from them.

This is a cruel decision. It comes on top of the fact that many children across the State are still being denied access to a special class or special school place. Some 200 schools have already been informed that they will have their SNA numbers cut in September, and that is with just half of the SNA allocation reviews having been completed. Even more cuts are on the way. SNA supports in schools were already stretched to the limit. This will only make a bad situation far worse. The decision of the Government to restrict the allocation of SNAs only to children who have a primary care need, that is, toileting or medicine, is driving this cull. The Government ignores the wider role of SNAs for children with learning disabilities, sensory needs and behavioural challenges.

SNAs help children to focus, participate and interact. They also provide emotional support and build confidence. These supports are life-changing for so many children and now the Government will pull the rug from under their futures. This is a massive step backwards. One principal has stated that these SNA cuts set special education in mainstream schools back by 30 years. The Taoiseach says that we have more SNAs than ever. He rattles off big numbers but that is no comfort to a parent who has seen their child progress and thrive with the support of an SNA and who has seen their child go from dreading school to loving school with the support of their SNA. Parents are now racked with worry because their child will lose that support come September.

Paula Byrne is one such parent. Her son Ciaran attends Johnstown Boys National School in Dublin. Ciaran has autism and ADHD. He will lose his SNA support because of these cuts. I heard Paula on the news yesterday pleading with the Taoiseach and the Government not to do this. She says that Ciaran really struggles to stay at school. It is vital that he has SNA support. He cannot manage without it. She said please do not take away his SNA support. What was the Taoiseach's response to parents like Paula and to schools? He told them to appeal. There was no help, no comfort, no solution; they were just told to appeal. That was a reply as cold as the cuts themselves.

Déanfaidh na ciorraithe ar chúntóirí riachtanas speisialta dochar as cuimse do leanaí le sainriachtanais oideachasúla. Caithfear stop a chur leis an gcinneadh cruálach seo. Ní chóir go gcuirfear na ciorraithe ar SNAs i gcrích.

A pause is no good to anyone. In fact, it only adds to the uncertainty and the anxiety of parents, schools and SNAs. The Taoiseach needs to stop this now and not just pause it. Take this plan off the table. Tell parents, teachers and SNAs that he will not proceed with these cuts.

Hear, hear.

To give Deputies a bit background, I was the Minister for Education who introduced special needs assistants to mainstream schools for children with special needs. I do not need lectures from Deputy McDonald in terms of the value, importance and centrality of special needs assistants to children in our schools and the support that they have given. I have watched it grow from almost nothing to close to 25,000 SNAs in our school system by September next. In the past five years alone, the number of special needs assistants has grown by 45%. That is evidence of a continued increase, expansion and investment in the service. I just want to make that point.

I accept that the manner in which letters went out and so forth did cause concerns but let us avoid the language of "pulling the rug" and "ripping apart". That is not accurate at all. First, we need to say to all schools that no SNA will be removed from any school during the school year. I hope Deputy McDonald accepts that. No SNA will lose their job because there is a redeployment scheme, and a local panel is being created and so forth. That is a very important point to make as well.

I understand fully the stress, difficulty and fear that can develop in terms of the potential of losing services in a given school but equally we have to acknowledge that school is progression. Children move on from one school to another, so it is not plausible that there would not be reviews. One criticism I have is that the reviews should be more regular to make sure that our resource goes to the children most in need. Most people would accept that as rational and the right course of action. Different needs will arise on an annual basis. New children will come into schools and some that did not have a need will develop a need because of the number of children coming into the school in a new year. Over two thirds - 68% - of those that were part of this review of 585 schools will either see no change or an increase in their SNA allocation.

The Deputy is correct when she says that approximately 190 schools will see a reduction. The reason I told them to appeal is that there is an appeals mechanism there.

So therapists will be reduced.

I have spoken with the Minister, Deputy Naughton; the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan; and the NCSE. They will work through with the schools that have been impacted more severely than others. I do not believe any school should lose six SNAs. I think that was reported last evening.

What about five?

I do not believe any school should lose four if there are six.

Good.

I do not believe that, and that is why more regular reviews would be better. They would be more attuned to the needs of the school year, rather than what may happen when capacity has built up and needs have changed. The needs do change.

We are bringing a therapy service in schools, and into special schools in particular. We will have a multidisciplinary approach in special schools. We spread that out and mainstream it over time. That is important as well to bring additional disciplines to help children with special needs and additional needs in our schools.

The Minister has paused this. We will engage with the NCSE and it will engage with the schools, particularly those schools that have already been subject to the review. The NCSE and its officials will now work with those schools to review the position for them. In my view, any changes would have to be gradual and the impact on the individual schools would have to be factored in in terms of any reviews that would have taken place.

I thank the Taoiseach. I call Deputy McDonald.

Ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil muid ar thaobh na SNAs.

Níl an Rialtas ar a dtaobh. Níl sé ar thaobh na SNAs, na páistí nó na múinteoirí.

Tá i bhfad níos mó infheistíochta curtha isteach againn ó thaobh chúrsaí oideachais do leanaí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta acu.

I ask the Taoiseach to conclude. I call Deputy McDonald.

The Taoiseach seems to not accept or understand that schools in any event have been struggling and are under pressure. If there is an excess of SNAs across the school communities of this land, I certainly have not seen it. I think all of our colleagues would confirm that if you go from school to school and principal to principal, you will see that they are tearing out their hair out as they try to do the best for the children under the most enormous pressure. Now the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, is proposing cuts. Yes, cuts. Here is what it is going to mean: Fossa National School near Killarney will be down four SNAs; Johnstown Boys National School in Dublin, which I mentioned, will be down five SNAs; and Scoil Barra in Ballincollig in Cork will be down two SNAs. That is just a small sample. We could go on and on. That is merely a snapshot of what is in store. Now it seems that the Government is going to review the review. It is talking about a pause. That is of absolutely no use to anyone. In fact, I would argue that it will add to the anxiety.

I thank the Deputy.

The Government needs to acknowledge and respect the vital, essential role of SNAs for children in the school system.

I ask Deputy McDonald to conclude.

The Government also needs to commit to not to cut any of them. That is what is needed. That is what the Taoiseach needs to say.

I thank Deputy McDonald. I call the Taoiseach.

I hope the Taoiseach will get to his feet, alleviate the anxiety of parents and SNAs and make it clear these cuts will not proceed.

Hear, hear.

We are increasing the number of special needs assistants to 25,000 for the school year 2026-27 beginning in September. I will repeat for you that we are increasing, not cutting, the number of special needs assistants for the next school year.

It is-----

I have given the Taoiseach the numbers there.

There will be 25,000. The numbers have gone up by 45% in the last five years.

So is Fossa not losing four?

Those are not cutbacks; that is expansion. Now I will speak about the reason.

Johnstown is losing five.

I spoke yesterday to the Minister, Deputy Foley. We were in County Kerry yesterday. I spoke about schools appealing. Schools are well used to appealing. I do not mean that in any cold way. That is important.

You are right about that.

They have to.

No, sorry. That is right across the board.

They have no choice in the matter.

Order, please.

Of course they are well used to appealing.

Sorry, when it comes to any scheme, schools will seek to make some appeals, correctly in my view.

A startling initiative.

The making of appeals is a mechanism to deal with some of these issues. I have said it already that no school should lose four SNAs in any one year.

How many should they lose?

It depends on the needs of the school. If, for example, three or four children who were benefiting from an SNA in a primary school move onto second level, that can change the need.

Oh my God, you are so out of touch with what is happening.

I thank the Taoiseach.

Surely the Deputy is not suggesting-----

The Taoiseach is out of touch with what is happening.

I am not out of touch at all. I am far more in touch than you are.

Deputy McDonald, please allow the Taoiseach to finish. The time is up.

Oh my goodness.

I have been working on this all my political life and I will continue to work all my political life on special needs education.

The Taoiseach should conclude. I call Deputy Bacik.

Surely Deputy McDonald is not saying that every SNA stays in situ forever, irrespective of the need.

No, I am saying-----

That is what she is saying.

That does not make sense either.

The Taoiseach should conclude.

All I am simply saying is that we have expanded the numbers-----

The Government made a mess of this. Why does the Taoiseach not admit it?

-----and we want the children who need it most to get the service they require and the SNA supports they require-----

That is disingenuous.

-----and that is what we are going to do.

That is utterly disingenuous.

Look who is talking - madame disingenuous.

I call Deputy Bacik.