No school will lose more than one special needs assistant (SNA) in a single year under Government plans for a redeployment scheme for the roles.
The Cabinet on Wednesday signed off on a workforce development plan for SNAs and the Coalition is a also publishing new circulars on the role of SNAs and how they are redeployed.
The plans, unveiled by Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton and Minister of State for Special Education Michael Moynihan, come after the Government was forced into a U-turn earlier this year on plans to reduce the number of educational assistants across almost 200 schools.
The rowing back on those plans in February followed a public backlash. A decision was then taken that no schools would lose SNAs in the coming 2026/2027 academic year.
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Now, the Department of Education has published its first ever workforce development plan for SNAs.
Based on a survey of 13,000 of the estimated 25,000 SNAs currently working in Ireland, Naughton described the plan as “historic”.
She said the views, experiences, and priorities of SNAs, families, school leaders and advocacy groups were reflected throughout the document.
There is “greater clarity on the role of the SNA” including a new contract and “the introduction of redeployment scheme that will help retain experienced SNAs within our school system,” Naughton said.
[ ‘It makes no sense’: Parents devastated by proposed SNA cuts in schoolsOpens in new window ]
She said that from September 2027 no more than one SNA in a given school will be redeployed in any single year.
“This approach reflects the feedback that I received from SNAs, from parents and school communities regarding the potential for sudden or significant changes in staffing levels following future reviews,” she said.
“Our objective is to provide certainty and reassurance to schools, while also ensuring that resources are deployed where they are most needed.”
She also said there will be schools that need extra SNAs following reviews of their allocations.
Trade union Fórsa, which represents 18,000 SNAs, welcomed the publication of the workforce plan.
A statement said the union will begin a nationwide consultation with members in advance of a ballot on whether to accept or reject the proposals.
It highlighted a change that sees the replacement of a current requirement that SNAs work 72 additional hours outside school opening hours with dedicated time for training and professional development.
“The agreement also provides new protections for SNA posts,” it said.
“Under the revised arrangements, no more than one post can be declared surplus in any school, and affected staff will be offered redeployment opportunities.”
Fórsa head of education Andy Pike said “these changes will improve stability for SNAs and strengthen support for students with additional needs. We will now begin a full consultation with members before holding a ballot on the proposals.”
Sinn Féin’s education spokesman Darren O’Rourke said the publication of the SNA workforce plan is “an important step”. However, he added that “given the chaotic handling of this issue over recent months, where almost 200 schools were facing cuts to their SNA allocations, the Government has a mountain of work to do to rebuild trust with SNAs, students and their families.”
