The Government's plan to take away special needs assistants from vulnerable children was met with massive public anger. Last night, we held a public meeting against the Government's proposed SNA cuts and more than 1,000 people turned up - parents, SNAs and teachers all calling out Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for their cruel treatment of children. They are now determined to fight back against this, tooth and nail. Last week, in the face of this anger, the Government announced that it had called a pause to its plan to cut SNAs and late last night, it announced what amounts to an extension of that pause, acting only to buy itself time and alleviate pressure on the Government.

Of course, there is relief among parents and schools that there will be no cuts this September and that much-needed additional funding will be provided, but that is not the end of the story because parents see right through the Government's ploy. They know that the Government has simply kicked the can down the road for another year. They know that the Government's approach is a cynical bean-counting exercise and that the needs of children do not even come into it, which is shameful.

Parents and schools now demand fundamental change. They demand that the Government recognise, respect and value the full role of SNAs. By seeking to restrict the allocation of SNAs to a very narrow range of primary care needs like toileting and medicine, the Government is knowingly seeking to limit access to SNAs and to pull the rug from under children who desperately need support. The Government needs to accept that learning, emotional and behavioural difficulties are also primary care needs. This is the support SNAs provide day in and day out. Despite the Government's announcement last night, its threat to cut SNAs remains on the table. This is a tactical retreat, not a change of heart.

The stories shared with us at last night's meeting were utterly heart-breaking. One mother speaking through her tears said, "How dare the Government even consider pulling SNA support from our children?" Another said, "I'd like the Minister to come to my home even for one day to see what it's like when a child doesn't get the SNA support they need - the frustration, the helplessness, the anger." Parents, SNAs and teachers have all said that the Government has crossed a line here. They do not want an extended pause; they want these cuts taken off the table for now and for the future. They want to know that no child will lose the SNA he or she depends on and they want the Government to deliver a comprehensive response to the needs of their children. They want respect.

Caithfidh an Rialtas fáil réidh lena phlean ciaradh a dhéanamh ar chúntóirí riachtanas speisialta. Ní sos atá ag teastáil, nó é a bheith curtha ar an méar fhada, ach scrios iomlán ar an bplean. Ní mór don Rialtas a chinntiú go bhfaigheann gach leanbh le sainriachtanais an tacaíocht atá ag teastáil uathu.

Comments today from Ministers have only added to the anger of parents and SNAs. Ministers lined up to say it was a communications, sequencing or cliff-edge problem. They are incapable still of accepting the Government's plan was wrong. It was wrong to treat children this way. Can the Taoiseach accept that a new departure is needed, not a temporary pause, but a child-centred approach, built on respect, security for SNAs and an end to the constant stress and worry endured by parents?

Hear, hear.

Ar dtús báire, ní aontaím in aon chor leis an Teachta. Ag déanamh áiféise atá sí. Má fheicimid ar an scéal ó 2021 amach, tá an uimhir SNAs sa chóras agus sna scoileanna ar fud na tíre ag méadú bliain i ndiaidh bliana. Tá an méid infheistíocht ag méadú chomh maith, bliain i ndiaidh bliana. Is léir, maidir leis an Rialtas a bhí againn roimh an olltoghchán agus an Rialtas atá againn anois, is é an meon atá againn ná i bhfad níos mó infheistíocht a chur isteach do leanaí le riachtanais speisialta. Sin bun agus barr pholasaithe agus aidhmeanna an Rialtais.

Ní leor sin.

I understand where the Deputy is coming from. She speaks of cynicism. She personifies cynicism in her approach to politics and issues. She does not deal with them substantively or in any considered way.

The bottom line is this. If we take special needs assistants alone, in 2020, there were 16,000 special needs assistants. Starting next September, there will be more than 25,000 special needs assistants. The number has gone from 16,000 to almost 18,000 in 2021, 19,000 in 2022, 20,000 in 2023, 22,000 in 2024, 23,800 in 2025 and more than 25,000 in 2026. That is not cutbacks or pulling back. That is not taking special needs assistants away from vulnerable children. That is allocating more resources.

It is the same across the board in terms of special education. Investment has been very significant over the past number of years. From a position where, prior to 2020, there were very few special schools and none at all in the previous five or six years, we have established 16 new special schools since 2020. Some 28% of the budget is now allocated to special education and we have up to 30,000 students in special classes and special schools. The investment made is very considerable and will increase.

One of the reasons is that there was a significant increase in the number of children and young people identifying with a disability in the most recent census, as opposed to the census prior to that. It is a very significant increase. That is impacting on our schools and demand. We are correct in that we need to finish off the work that has been done on the redeployment scheme. A lot of work was done on that with all the partners and stakeholders in education. That will give safety and security of tenure to special needs assistants, as we did for teachers many years ago. There was a redeployment scheme in place for teachers.

As regards the teaching allocation, as the Deputy knows, every September, depending on the numbers in a given school, teacher numbers will either increase, decrease or stay the same in that school. If there is a reduced number of pupils in September and the school does not meet a certain cut-off point in terms of pupil-teacher ratio, it loses a teacher. If it is above or at that level, it gains teachers. The same applies and has always applied to special needs assistants, insofar as the needs of children in a given school have to be assessed, and should be assessed, on an annual basis, because things change. Need either increases or it can decrease. That is logical and natural. What transpired here was there had not been a comprehensive review for quite a number of years and the National Council for Special Education embarked on one.

In our view, from a Government perspective, we believe the building blocks should be in place first - the redeployment scheme, the workforce planning and a new circular, and in addition to that then, continued allocation of resources to a needs-based approach.

What the Taoiseach has given us is a demonstration of a complete unwillingness to accept realities on the ground. In fact, I would say his response was gaslighting parents and SNAs.

Hear, hear.

Please.

Ah, stop. The Deputy spends her time at it.

The Taoiseach needs to know that those parents, children and young people who rely on their SNA to participate in school life and learning, to stay at school, to build confidence, esteem and relationships and who require behavioural regulation need to have the security of the SNA. They cannot live on a wing and a prayer from year to year, hoping against hope that the SNA is not taken away.

The Government attempted to remove SNAs from schools. That is what it attempted to do. Parents and SNAs have fought back and they are telling the Government now very clearly that there needs to be a new departure and it needs to accept in full the role of SNAs.

Thank you, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

It needs to accept the reliance of children and young people to function and to operate-----

The Taoiseach to respond, Deputy.

-----within the system on those SNAs. It needs to announce not a pause-----

Time is up, Deputy McDonald.

-----or a review of a review but a complete reversal of this disgraceful policy.

First of all, the Deputy has just articulated an empty soundbite - "a new departure". What does the Deputy mean by "a new departure"?

It was just set out for the Taoiseach.

I am none the wiser as to the Deputy's new departure.

If the Taoiseach listened-----

Please, Deputies.

There is nothing to what she is saying. This is an opportunity to have a go; fair enough. That is what the Opposition tends to do.

Wow.

What we are saying is that we are coming forward with the redeployment scheme and a new circular. I am open to discussion on the role of an SNA but the role of the SNA is primarily for the child, not the school.

Let us have these discussions-----

Tell yourself that.

Would the Deputy please allow the answer?

-----which cannot be forever debated in empty soundbites.

Wow. The Taoiseach is arrogant.

The child comes first. Do not mind your "wow". The child comes first all the time. The Deputy is not in the Gaiety School of Acting now.

He is an arrogant man.

Deputy, please do not interrupt.

The Taoiseach is one arrogant man.

The bottom line is it is a serious issue for children-----

Oh, it is.

-----and as far as I am concerned-----

Deputy McDonald has had her time.

-----we must focus on allocation on a child-based approach and a needs-based approach.

I am sure parents are watching this to see the Taoiseach's arrogance-----

I call Deputy Ivana Bacik. Deputy McDonald is out of order.

Everyone on this side of the House is as familiar with the issues as Deputy McDonald is. She does not have a monopoly on it and she should not pretend she does.