Paul Murphy raises Tommy Dixon's fight for a full-time SNA
Paul Murphy raised the case of Tommy Dixon, a six-year-old pupil in Gaelskull, Nogutia, in Fir House who has a rare, life-limiting mitochondrial disease and needs a full-time special needs assistant (SNA). He urged the department to intervene after the NCSE refused to allocate a full-time SNA and the school was told to share one SNA among seven pupils.
Case details
Tommy is in junior infants and requires assistance with toileting, mobility and balance due to coordination issues, and has a significant visual impairment. He also needs support to use technology, for social interactions, and to ensure he eats an adequate amount at break and lunchtime while at school.
Clinical support
All of Tommy's clinicians and therapists agree that he requires a full-time SNA. They have been advocating for that level of support on behalf of Tommy and his family.
NCSE decision and school arrangement
According to the speech, the NCSE has not agreed to a full-time allocation and has instead directed that the school must make do with one SNA shared between Tommy and six other students. Paul Murphy described this as scandalous and unequal treatment given Tommy's needs.
Call for departmental intervention
Paul Murphy asked whether the department would step in to prevent the family having to go public, to involve media, or to pursue legal action in order to secure what he said Tommy deserves as a basic right. The intervention sought was framed as a way to avoid further burdening the family.
Response from the minister
A ministerial response in the record noted awareness of the case and said the matter would be raised with the National Council. The minister did not record a decision in the excerpt but indicated they would follow up with the National Council.
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I want to raise with you the case of Tommy Dixon. Tommy is a six-year-old. He attends junior infants in Gaelskull, Nogutia, in Fir House. He has a very rare, life-limiting mitochondrial disease. As a consequence of that, he needs assistance to go to the toilet. When he moves around, he is at risk of falling and hurting himself because of coordination and balance issues. So he needs assistance and support with that. He suffers from a significant visual impairment. So he needs to be supported in the use of technology, but also in moving around and social interactions. And he needs support to ensure that he eats an adequate amount at break and at lunchtime while in school. All of his clinicians and therapists agree that he needs a full-time SNA. And they've all been advocating for him. But unfortunately, the NCSE don't agree. They say that the school has to make do with one SNA between Tommy and six other students. Shocker. He needs this support to be able to function, and yet the school is repeatedly told, and the parents are told, no, no, no, you have to make do with one SNA between seven. It's scandalous. It's utterly unequal treatment for Tommy in terms of what he needs to be able to perform at schools. Will the department intervene to avoid the family having to fight this out, to go public, to have me speak about it at all, to go to the media, to go down the legal route, all to get what Tommy just deserves as a basic right? Deputy Murphy raised the case of Tommy Dixon, I think you referenced. Again, he's looking for full-time SNA. He has a rare life limiting microchondriac condition, which you outlined. Again, I'm not clear as to why the National Council have not decided to allocate, but I will raise this issue with them. Thank you.
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