Richard Boyd Barrett: Will Government Adopt Parents' SNA Circular?

Minister, it's only a few weeks ago really since the government caused fear, panic, stress among parents of children with special needs, school communities, SNAs, by threatening swinging cuts in SNAs in many many schools and that was all because of a circular from 2014 which had failed to recognize the evolution of the role of the SNA and the needs of our children with special needs. There's an alternative circular that's been put together by the Save Our SNAs campaign, parents, SNAs themselves and so on and they want to know are you going to support and adopt this new circular about the role of the SNAs in our schools. I thank the Deputy for the question. The Department of Education recognizes the value of the special needs assistant role in successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and to achieve their full potentials. I'm also aware of the contribution that SNAs make to the education experience and the overall well-being of students in our schools. I recognize that the SNA demonstrate a deep commitment to their roles and the students that they work with providing a range of supports including for behavior of concern, assisting students with regulation and fostering independence. Cotton provision of the role of the SNA are set out in circulars 30 of 2014 and circular 71 of 2011. This policy and the process for allocating SNAs has been in place since 2014 and the National Council for Special Education continues to respond to increasing demand for SNA support. It's reflected in the growing SNA workforce. By the end of this year there would be almost 25,000 SNAs in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. Since its publication the circular 30 of 2014 has facilitated unparalleled growth of more than 13,200 SNAs more than doubling the SNA workforce. The department has concluded a comprehensive review of the role of the SNA as part of the ongoing work on the first SNA workforce development plan. This work was supported by a working group comprised of a wide range of stakeholders which met on 15 different occasions in recent times, providing input from a number of perspectives. These stakeholders include school management bodies, FOSA, the recognized trade union which represents the SNAs and the National Parents Council and the Children's Rights Alliance. All of these organizations through their representatives participate in a dialogue, exchange of views, providing suggested wording and ultimately influence the final text of the circular. My department have also concluded significant focus groups, research as well as national surveys of the special education assistance to ensure everybody in our school communities are given an opportunity to input. I will come back to the point. Okay Minister, I haven't really answered the question and let's just remember we had a massive revolt because of the anxiety and the stress and the fear that was induced by the government's attempt to cut SNA support in many schools based on an outdated circular that failed to acknowledge the evolution in the role of the SNA and essentially the rights of children to the supports and resources they need. What I've heard from you is quoting figures and the whole point of the new circular being put forward by parents, by SNAs, by school communities is that it's not about figures, it's about the needs of children. It's about a reaffirmation as they say themselves of the rights and the obligations of government under the UNCRPD, under the Epson Act and about the rights of children to full and equal access to education and a recognition of the evolution of the role of the SNA as being somebody who removes the barriers and provides the supports necessary for children to have full and equal access to education at all levels. And the question they want to know is are you going to engage with them on this circular, will you adopt it and issue it as the circular that is needed? The outcome of the consultation that we have had with the various stakeholders, with the SNAs, Forsa, the Parents Council and the Children's Rights Alliance is that the outcome is a draft circular which provides a clear and detailed description of the range and duties and responsibilities for the evolving SNA role. And I fully understand that both Minister Nock and I fully understand the evolving role of it and which is a product of meaningful collaboration with all those in our school communities. We met with the SNA and stakeholders last month in a day-long engagement to discuss work being carried out by the department on the plan including the comprehensive review of the SNA role. It's intended that the circular and the associated documents, a new circular and the associated guidance documents on the role of the SNA will be published in quarter two of 2026. Look I really think the government need to realise why we've had revolts on a number of issues because the government doesn't actually listen to the people on the front line. Now you haven't responded on the actual circular that's been proposed by the Save Our SNAs campaign, which is from the horse's mouth about what SNAs and parents and so on believe is required to ensure that their children have the opportunity and the supports and the resources necessary to reach their full potential and to vindicate their rights to education and to full participation in society. So I'd like to know are you going to engage with the people who put this circular together? Are you going to engage with this circular? Do you agree with it with the principles that's set out or do you not? Because you're not really answering you're saying you talk to this person you talk to that person. Are you going to respond to this circular and to engage with the people? I suggest you meet the people who put it together to discuss what's in it because it's not clear for me otherwise that you may not make the same mistake that led to the crisis that we had only a few weeks ago. Thank you Deputy Minister. The amount of engagement that we've had and work that has been ongoing for a number of years in terms of the SNA workforce development plan, in terms of the redeployment, but also on the circular and we understand quite well a lot of work has been done in relation to the circular going back a number of years at this stage. But consultation really with those across the education partners, parents groups, children advocates, SNAs who are central to advising on the challenges and the roles that are being, I suppose the roles as they evolve. But it's important to note that we have been engaging extremely well to bring a new circular into the system and a huge amount of work. Consultation with people that are really at the coalface, people that are dealing and I think as well that we have to say you know there's 20 almost 25,000 SNAs. We have no intention as a government to deplete the SNAs. The SNAs are a hugely integral part of the education experience for children with additional needs and they are the foundation of what we're doing. So we want to ensure that we have the right tools in terms of circulars and in terms of the workforce development plan and the redeployment in place to ensure that the SNA is valued and the role of the SNA is updated in the new circular.