2026-02-17

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.

The decision to overturn planning permission for a new critical care wing at the Rotunda Maternity Hospital is deeply disappointing. The staff there provide exceptional care to women and babies. However, the building is failing them. The Rotunda is the busiest maternity hospital in Ireland and one of the busiest in Europe. Yet, vulnerable premature babies are being treated in facilities that are simply not fit for purpose and healthcare workers tell us that space constraints are already impacting on care. We all know we have a shameful history in this country on women’s healthcare. The legacy of the draconian eighth amendment, the bans on contraception and the barbaric practice of symphysiotomy all cast a shadow over our recent memories. The fight for better healthcare is not over for women, however. Even since 2018, women still face patronising delays and unnecessary restrictions when accessing abortion services. Now, Victorian infrastructure and, indeed, Georgian architecture, it seems, are impeding the provision of decent maternity care. I respect An Coimisiún Pleanála, of course, but we need to build critical healthcare capacity. It is welcome that the Dublin Civic Trust has said it will not go to court if a judicial review is sought against the decision. However, it is really disappointing and frustrating for all those working in and relying on the Rotunda that so-called heritage concerns have outweighed the urgent need for decent healthcare facilities. In its decision, An Coimisiún Pleanála referenced a decade-old proposal to move the Rotunda to Connolly hospital, a plan that has not proceeded to date and, sensibly, as we know, the Rotunda has instead built clinical links with the Mater. As recently as last year, however, the Government was continuing to suggest that the move could still go ahead. It was entirely foreseeable that unless Government clearly ruled out relocation plans, such plans could be used as a stick to beat maternity care with in the planning process. That is the reality, no matter how much the Minister for Health tried to downplay it on the radio this morning. Therefore, can the Taoiseach say with clarity if, in fact, the Government has abandoned plans to move the Rotunda? As Deputy Sherlock has asked, if that is the case, why did the Minister for Health not spend €50 to let An Coimisiún Pleanála know that as part of the appeal in the planning process? I remind the Taoiseach that the Government introduced the very planning procedures now blocking this development. The Minister spent the interview this morning on RTÉ lamenting a planning process the Government helped to create. It speaks to a long-standing lack of vision and lack of ambition for critical infrastructure. The Government is legislating around planning constraints for gas reserves and airport capacity because of ineffective planning laws. Now, a €100 million investment in neonatal care is stalled. As a Government, we are cash rich but as a people, we know we are asset poor. Creaking infrastructure is causing suffering. It is causing flaws and inadequacies in care and the Government carries the responsibility for closing the gaps. It is not good enough to give out about An Taisce or Dublin Civic Trust or anyone else on the radio, especially not with this continued equivocation. The Government is not a bystander. Its Ministers are not bystanders. What is going to happen now with the Rotunda? What will the Taoiseach do to ensure women and babies get the medical care they deserve?

First of all, the Minister for Health has expressed her deep disappointment-----

Oh, no.

-----at the decision of An Coimisiún Pleanála to overturn the position of Dublin City Council and, indeed, its own recommendation from its own planning inspector who recommended that the proposed critical care wing at the Rotunda should go ahead. I would add that it is deeply disappointing. The Minister this morning met with the regional clinical director and also the regional executive officer. The HSE will be meeting with the master of the Rotunda to review the next steps and all the plans pertaining to the Rotunda, the Mater and, of course, Connolly hospital. The Deputy is correct. The interview this morning with the person who objected on behalf of Dublin Civic Trust was interesting. When they were pressed on whether they would object again if that particular dimension - the 2016 strategy - was removed, there was no commitment not to object again. There are no guarantees either way because other factors were taken into account. The issue from a planning perspective is that irrespective of what happens in the long term, the critical care unit is needed now. It is an immediate need for babies who require intensive care of that kind. About 20% of specialised neonatal care is in the Rotunda, so it is a national facility. It is not just a regional facility from that perspective. Huge numbers of women go to the Rotunda, so it is a critical resource for us. There is an issue in terms of the prioritisation of the protection of human life over the heritage considerations. Invariably what tends to happen is that people try to marry, and do the very best they can to harmonise, developments like this. Let us not forget the Rotunda is part of the heritage as well. Are we suggesting it stands still as a building or never moves in any direction or never gets expanded? We recently opened Hampson House. I presume Deputy Bacik is familiar with that outpatient facility near O'Connell Street. It is a fantastic facility. This facilitated and opened up the opportunity to do this development. There were people working where space has now been created for the critical care wing, or part of it anyway. From our perspective, the Minister will work with all involved. The master did seek to engage with people on the ground and with Dublin Civic Trust and others. That was not, to my understanding, taken up at that particular time. In terms of maternity development more generally, there are a number of maternity hospitals in Dublin and it is a fact that over the past 30 years or longer, we have not managed, through institutional and other issues, to get maternity hospitals located in one given site. Holles Street hospital is now moving to St. Vincent's hospital after a long row in here and argy-bargy about this, that and the other, a lot of it in my view not of substance and, quite frankly, it did not put women first. People were more worried about conspiracies in the Vatican, in my view, than women's health but there we are. Cork managed to do it. We should review the Rotunda in terms of what should happen there in the long term as well. That is something the Minister will deal with fairly quickly.

I listened carefully to the Taoiseach's response and it is more of the same. It is Government as bystander and that is not good enough. It is not good enough for the Taoiseach or for the health Minister to say how disappointed they are with a decision of an entity created by the Government. It is simply not good enough either for the Taoiseach or the health Minister-----

What entity?

You are critical of planning decisions.

What entity created by the Government?

Sorry, I did not interrupt you.

I did not get that bit.

As I have said, and I hope I get more time, it is not good enough for the Taoiseach to govern as a bystander because he is in government and, indeed, he was in the previous Government. The planning process was established by Government. It is now up to the Government to do something about this decision. What I did not hear from the Taoiseach was any clarity about the long-term plans for the Rotunda. An Coimisiún Pleanála referred to a prospective move of the Rotunda. That has not been ruled out by either the Taoiseach or the health Minister. Women and their families deserve clarity on what the plan for the Rotunda is. Is it going to stay on site? The Taoiseach referred to Holles Street hospital. Holles Street hospital has not moved yet either. We have seen very little progress on that. I have stood in the Rotunda and met the staff. I have heard from them their extreme frustration at the lack of space and the constraints in the facilities. Anyone who has been in there as a patient or who has visited people will know exactly the constraints the Rotunda is under. It is up to the Taoiseach to do something about it. He is in government and he is not a bystander.

It is a good catchy soundbite but-----

It is not a soundbite.

-----I interrupted Deputy Bacik to get clarity from her because of the outrageous, disingenuous suggestion that the Government established An Coimisiún Pleanála when the Oireachtas, through legislation, voted for its establishment.

Proposed by the Government.

Deputy Bacik knows that as a legislator and as a person with legal background. It is a creature of the Oireachtas. Yes, the Government proposed reforms but it is a creature of the Oireachtas and Deputy Bacik knows that.

The Taoiseach is deflecting.

She would be the very first person calling on a Minister to resign if that Minister tried to interfere in an independent planning process.

You had one job to do and you did not do it.

It is utter hypocrisy of Deputy Bacik to call us bystanders because we did not interfere and tell An Comisiún Pleanála that, no matter what its views are, it is to pass that along and rubberstamp it because that is what the Government wants. That is what Deputy Bacik is saying.

Order, please.

It is disrespect to the Rotunda.

That is what the Deputy is saying.

That is not what we are saying.

All of us have met the Rotunda. All of us support the Rotunda. I have met the master and the people involved, and so has the Minister for Health.

Where is the clarity?

Deputy Bacik.

The clarity is that An Coimisiún Pleanála has made a decision. We now have to deal with that decision and we will.

It was within your power to do something about it and you did not do it.

Anois, Deputy Holly Cairns.

One in six babies in this State is born in the Rotunda. It is the busiest maternity hospital in the country by some distance and it is also the oldest maternity hospital in the world, and in many ways it feels like it. I was there yesterday to speak to the team after the devastating news that the planning permission for their long-awaited and desperately needed extension had been overturned. On Friday, as the news filtered through the hospital corridors, staff were in shock. One told me they burst into tears. They literally could not believe it because they could not comprehend how anyone could walk into that neonatal intensive care unit and deny that those babies needed more space. I visited the neonatal intensive care unit yesterday to see the conditions myself. It is not a large room and it is stuffed full of equipment that overflows into the surrounding corridors. Right now there are seven babies in incubators in that room. Their machines are practically on top of each other and their mothers and nurses are squeezed into the spaces in between. One mum with her tiny, gorgeous baby on her chest was afraid to lean too far back in her chair in case she hit another incubator. There is no privacy, no dignity and no proper protection from hospital-acquired infections. There is about a meter between each incubator, to fit parents, nurses and equipment. The team in the Rotunda hoped that would change when a critical care extension was built onto the hospital. That extension would have included a 20-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a 25-bed special care baby unit, as well as new labour and postnatal wards and 80 additional hospital bedrooms - a game-changer for the care of women and babies. Unbelievably, however, planning permission for this extension was revoked by An Coimisiún Pleanála. An appeals board said the extension did not represent an overwhelming public benefit "sufficient to justify the degree of heritage harm identified". On what planet is the treatment of premature babies not an overwhelming public benefit? The mind boggles. The absurdity of that decision makes at least some sense when we realise that An Coimisiún Pleanála partially based this decision on Government policy to co-locate the Rotunda with Connolly Hospital. Listening to the Minister for Health this morning and visiting the hospital yesterday, it is clear that is not the case any more. This decision, as well as being completely mad, it is partially based on outdated information. We all agree that co-location is best practice for any maternity hospital, but it is abundantly clear to everyone that the Rotunda is not going to be co-located with Connolly. It already works alongside the Mater and that relationship should be formalised in the upcoming national maternity strategy. Will the Taoiseach now confirm that plans to co-locate the Rotunda with Connolly Hospital will not go ahead? Will he explain why this announcement was not made before the planning decision was made? What is the Government going to do now to get this urgent project over the line and how will it do that quickly?

I believe this project is in the overwhelming public interest and that there is an overwhelming public benefit. That is why we funded about €16 million into Hampson House to facilitate decanting but also provision of a first-class service now in terms of outpatient facilities, antenatal clinics and all of that. The Government is 100% behind this project but An Coimisiún Pleanála is independent, as all TDs would want. In this House no one has ever suggested it should not be. However, I hope the Deputy will back us now when we bring forward a critical infrastructure Bill. I hope we get the House's agreement that, certainly in health, there are exceptional projects that need to bypass the planning process altogether and just get it done-----

Hear, hear.

----- in the interest of public health. Deputy Cairns has summed up the neonatal intensive care unit correctly. I do not argue with her summation of the conditions there. Those who objected to this vital project should have taken up the invitation of the master of the Rotunda. They should have visited the neonatal intensive care unit and they should have then weighed up what they are objecting to. They have their commitments - the civic trust and others - but everybody has to weigh up the pros and cons of any given decision. In my view, in objecting to this facility, they very significantly got it wrong. In terms of previous strategies and recommendations that were made, I do not want to invent new national maternity strategies on a whim. There is a successor to the current one. However, I know the Minister is meeting with the master. The Minister will come back to Government fairly quickly in terms of a statement in respect of how we see this now proceeding. The colocation is there in essence between the Rotunda and the Mater level 4 hospital. There is a blue light corridor there that facilitates urgent transfers and so on. In essence, it is very important we have colocation for women's health. It is absolutely an imperative. There has been a very significant and impressive development of a strong relationship between the Rotunda and the Mater. They work very closely together. As I said, there is a protective blue light corridor to provide adults with acute services when needed. The Minister has already had meetings today on the range of issues involved and how we move this forward. The Minister will be meeting with the master, Professor Sean Daly, shortly. I am working with the Minister and Government. The Minister will come back to Government with proposals in this regard. In my view, we will have to look at all options here to get this critical care wing built at the Rotunda because there is no other immediate prospect or any short- to medium-term prospect of anything else happening, other than the critical wing being established on this site.

The Taoiseach says colocation between the Rotunda and the Mater is there in essence. Yes, I agree with him and everyone can see that. The problem the Taoiseach is talking around is that it is not there in reality in the Government's maternity strategy and An Coimisiún Pleanála brought that into its decision-making process. Part of the reason it gave when balancing it with the cultural heritage of the area was that this was not the long-term plan. However, the long-term plan has changed. The Government failed to acknowledge that, even five months ago when the appeal was put in. The Minister came out on the radio this morning and basically clarified that situation five months later. Now, the decision has been made. There will be a massive delay in this extension happening no matter what and the Government now needs to at least take responsibility for that and admit it was the Government's strategy that misled An Coimisiún Pleanála into making this decision. That is the very least the Government could do when the delay is considered. At the moment - I do not know how to emphasise this enough - there are 22 postnatal women sharing one bathroom. There is one bathroom between 22 women who have just given birth. All of those intensive care units for tiny premature babies are jammed into a room. There is not room for the two parents to go into see their baby at one time. This will go on even longer because the Government did not inform An Coimisiún Pleanála that the plan to colocate has changed.

The Deputy has omitted the fact that Dublin City Council approved this planning and the inspector at An Coimisiún Pleanála recommended and approved the decision of Dublin City Council. There was no expectation-----

Has the Taoiseach read An Coimisiún Pleanála's-----

Sorry, now. I know it is the job of the Opposition to blame the Government all of the time. An Coimisiún Pleanála took a decision which obviously went against the Dublin City Council decision and the recommendation of the board's own inspector, I am informed.

Has the Taoiseach read the decision?

It was a split decision as well.

There was a split decision as well but that can happen. In fairness, I do not believe in microscopic examination. People make decisions in their own right as officers of An Coimisiún Pleanála. In my view, it is the wrong decision. In my view-----

They cited the colocation with Connolly Hospital.

Allow the Taoiseach to respond, Deputy.

Anyone who knows anything about this and sought to know anything about it would know that this critical care wing is needed now. It is not needed in five, ten, 15 or 20 years' time. It is needed now, as Deputy Cairns has articulated, because we are all aware of-----

It was needed five years ago, or ten years ago.

Do not be interfering with the Social Democrats' time, please. You tend to want to monopolise the Opposition a lot. I know that but you should not be trying to do it on Leaders' Questions. Anyway, that is-----

I have no tolerance for waffle.

The time has concluded on this question.

The critical care wing is needed now. An Coimisiún Pleanála knows that. Dublin City Council was clear, that it was okay and it approved it, and so was the inspector.

I call Deputy Ward.

You should read the An Coimisiún Pleanála reason.

We did read it.

It said it was because of colocation.

It did not say that.

That was taken into consideration.

It does say that.

Deputy Ward, please.

It does not say that.

It does.

Please, Deputy Ward.

Children with the most complex needs in Donegal are losing essential support under the NESC's reviewed special needs assistants, SNA, review process and it comes at a real human cost. I personally reviewed the situation at Scoil Aodh Rua agus Nuala in Donegal town and what is going on there. There are children who rely on SNA supports to eat, to move and to communicate. These are their primary care needs and yet 2.5 SNAs are being cut from this school next September. It is far too much for this school to manage. If SNAs are treated as part of the general allocation, the school is forced to choose who loses support - children with special classes or children in mainstream classes with complex needs. Either way, inclusion fails and the children are forced out of their communities into special needs schools. The reduction sometimes is appropriate. I acknowledge that but this is not one of those times. Research shows best practice in law and that children with complex needs thrive in a stable, predictable and delivered educational environment within their own communities. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, ESPEN, Act 2004 guarantees that every child is entitled to appropriate education. Cutting essential supports is harmful and contrary to law. I have written urgently to all the Ministers and the relevant agencies seeking an intervention in this. The reality is stark. If these cuts continue, schools will not be able to safely manage special needs classes. The SENO may technically instruct schools to open classes but the practical reality for schools is they cannot meet the children's needs and they cannot provide essential care. This is not a threat. This is the reality that is going on on the ground. Children's safety, education and well-being are now at risk. These cuts undermine the inclusion and breach the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Ireland has signed up to. I call for an urgent review, particularly of Scoil Aodh Rua agus Nuala in Donegal town because it is in a desperate situation and this review needs to be stopped and revisited immediately. I am asking the Taoiseach to intervene, that the 2.5 SNA cuts for this school in Donegal town be stopped and that the review and the process be looked at so that no child is left behind and that they can be educated within their communities.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As he will be aware, I dealt with it earlier on a previous Leaders' question. It is important to make the point that no SNA is being removed from any school during this school year. Second, no SNA will lose their job. Those are two very important points. There are no cuts to overall special needs assistants' numbers. By September next year, we will have approximately 24,900. That is close to 25,000. We had more than 23,000 coming into this year. The numbers grew by 45% over five years, so it has been expansion. The needs have grown. Demand has grown as well, and it is important to meet that. So far, of the 580 reviews that took place, approximately 1%, it seems to me, of SNA posts nationally have been affected. We have 4,000 schools in our system. Approximately 190 have received letters indicating reductions. Approximately two thirds, or 68%, have either no change or an increase in their SNA allocation. In the context of the school the Deputy referenced, the NCSE will engage with the school. The school should appeal because that is the process. If you feel you have been wronged or whatever, you appeal it. That allows a mechanism to revisit the decision of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to reduce the numbers in a given school. It is important that be done. The Minister has paused the review. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, will engage intensively now to ensure that all the concerns raised - the Deputy has raised some - are fully understood and that we fully support children with additional needs in our schools. That is the objective. Is é sin atá i gceist againn. Tá an méid SNAs ag méadú bliain i ndiaidh bliana, agus is maith an rud é sin. Tá an infheistíocht ag méadú chomh maith. Dar ndóigh, bíonn athruithe ann go rialta, mar a dúirt an Teachta. Tagann athruithe ar an scéal i scoileanna éasgúla agus is é sin an fáth a mbíonn athruithe maidir leis na SNAs agus na scoileanna ina mbeidh siad.

I understand what the Taoiseach is saying around the allocations and deployment but in Donegal, it is not practical. For example, if in Donegal you are deployed to somewhere within a certain radius, there are no spaces available. That will not help, and within these schools, these children will be left without the rapport or the relationship they have built up over the years with the SNA who was there to help them. These children in this school are not going out anywhere over the next couple years; they will still be there. There are primary care needs here and they have still been cut. I ask the Taoiseach to review this school in Donegal town because we can see there is definitely something wrong. According to his own figures, 32% of schools are affected. If we are dealing with 32% of schools affected in the long run, what will that be next year and the year after? We have to make sure we are looking after children with primary needs and their care.

I said earlier the reviews should be regular to match resources to the needs of children, and new children will come into schools. We have about 4,000 schools with children who leave primary and go into second level, and children develop differently and so on. As the Deputy knows, the SNAs are allocated to the school, so the general number is allocated to the school. Obviously, within the context of the children in the school, additional needs assessments are made. Part of the problem here is there probably has not been a review for several years and the result has been too severe in respect of some schools. As I said earlier, no school should lose six or four in any one year. Again, depending on the size of the school, and with Scoil Aodh Rua, 2.5 could be a significant hit to that school. I do not have the background and specifics. If an assessment is made by the NCSE that a certain school does not require the number of SNAs it had two or three years ago, it should not hit the school with a shock decision and that it is making the call to take out three or four. It should be done much more gradually. That would be our approach, and I have communicated that to the Ministers and they agree with me on that and the NCSE. That is the way to proceed here. The Minister for Education and Youth is going to sit down with the NCSE to work this out. The NCSE and SENOs will then engage with the schools concerned to see what we can do.