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THE ORGANISERS OF a protest against special needs cuts planned at the Dáil next week have said the reduced care levels are “devastating” for parents.
The Alliance Against Cuts in Education is organising a ‘welcome back’ demonstration at Leinster House as TDs return to the Dáil after the summer recess next Wednesday. Parents and teachers are hoping to reverse cutbacks to the numbers of Special Needs Assistants in schools, which were voted through by parliament earlier this year.
Alliance member Tomás Ó Dúlaing told TheJournal.ie that the needs of children with autism, attention deficit disorder and other conditions had been dealt a “hammer blow” by the cuts.
It’s devastating for parents. People are so upset about it. Many of them have struggled since the child was born, to get the resources to allow the child to achieve their full potential. In recent times, children have made great progress with special needs assistants. And that is now being taken away.
He said the cuts would also have a severe impact on other school children, as greater pressure would be put on teachers in classrooms. “Let’s say you have a child with behavioural difficulties,” he said. “Imagine the impact on the teaching and learning process for other children when there isn’t a special needs assistant constantly helping, guiding their attention back.”
Saying that he expected a “substantial turnout” at the protest, Mr Ó Dúlaing added that the cuts of a “few million” are a false economy, as money invested in special needs now would avoid substantial care costs down the line. “If the resources are given now, a large number of those children will be contributing to the economy in future,” he said. “If not, and when parents and carers pass on, there is every chance that many of these individuals will need residential care at the State’s expense.”
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Fair play to people for stepping up and making their voices heard, as per usual the vulnerable people are targeted by this shiteheap of government
By not investing in early intervention and by not putting adequate resources into special education, we’re essentially costing the state more in future costs. But we don’t need an economic argument for this one. A bit of compassion from the government is what we need.
It’s a sad state of affairs when the state that represents us the Irish people turn on the weakest and most vunerable and make them share in the pain. Saying everybody must share in the pain does not make this assult on the truely disadvantaged acceptable or right.
Aye, Kerry Blake. No probs making these cuts yet they had no probs giving your man, that overfed looking baboon, a E700k+ golden handshake & a pension for life of around E2,300 per “week”. Never any probs whatsoever, constitutional, legal or otherwise, from cutting vital services & support for those who genuinely need it.
I’m so sick and f*cking tired of this Government targeting the most vulnerable in society. They got a right kicking when they tried to remove the medical card from the elderly. Therefore, if you feel strongly about this issue, get up and come to this demonstration next Wednesday. Vent your frustration and anger there and not in the comment section here. I consider myself lucky that my daughter has an SNA in her class even though she has to share her with 4 other kids. Without an SNA, I’d hate to think how difficult it would be for her teacher with a class of 29 kids. Don’t forget, this is an educational issue with EVERY kid affected, not just kids who have special needs.
Medical card fiasco was FF not current gov.
Would love to but sure I have a job and I’m told am very lucky to have one as well. The government should only be looking after the vulnerable and stop giving hand outs to those who can look after themselves. Makes me sick how people are moaning that they have to pay for their own third-level education and the really vulnerable persons in society and left to fend for themselves. A bit of perspective is seriously needed!!
I’m no expert in education, but is sharing a SNA a “devastating” situation? Obviously it’s better to have one SNA per pupil but it still represents a large effort to help those with special needs. Other pupils will share a teacher with up to 29 other pupils.
David. Not having an SNA means that the child who has it falls back further, the teacher has less time to bring on the other 29.
This is just typical FG/FF stuff, target the lowest and smallest fruit, even if it damages our education system, rather than face up to corruption and criminality at the top.
Aren’t we all happy that the Anglo Irish investigation is running at 940 days at this stage. Who here believes that anyone will ever be held accountable here. It is like Brian Lenihan targeting the Blind and disabled pension, while announcing on Christmas Day, that the very top of the Civil Service, the political appointee’s, the FF chums were being exempted from the pension levy. The people who earn 3-400 thousand a year. Gangsters like him got us in to this mess, don’t follow their example.
The Co-alition is bringing in a salary cap at the top and reform of pension and severance. You’re right that Lenihan protected those at the top, but FG won’t be continuing that. Brian Hayes made that very clear yesterday.
I’m not happy that the Anglo investigation is taking as long as it is but it is said to be coming to and end and we should see something emerge soon. It’s a private investigation. I wish we all knew more about it but such a complex investigation was always going to take some time.
FG is not targeting the most vulnerable. Everyone is taking a share of the pain. Sadly we can’t exclude anybody in this situation. I wish we could.
The fact is we Do Not cherish our children……………..But the taxpayer pay for private schools for other children. yours are just worthless. We value the elite.
Ireland the banana republic.
@shammcsham sorry mate I know for a fact that this is true.
Where could I get a list of all the TDs that voted for these shocking cuts? The knock in effects of SNA cuts to mainstream schools means more SN Schools will need to be built the up and down the country Crazy!!!!!!
You can contact them through http://www.contact.ie
In relation to SNA provision it was FF who increased SNAs in the first place. There were too many in the system as kids who moved on or left the system left the SNA in the school. Hence the SNAs turned into well paid classroom assistants.
Not true, when the child is gone, the SNA position is gone. Full stop, end of story.
It may have been a different party in power but my point is valid. As far as SNA’s being kept employed even if there isn’t a role for them, that’s ridiculous. I personally know SNA’s, part time and full time that have lost their jobs or had their hours severly cut. This is despite a school report proving the necessity of their employment. My own daughter and many, many more kids have an educational and legal right to special needs assistance. As it is, she has to share her SNA with 4 other kids. I’m thankful she at least has that.
@David. We’d gladly share an SNA with another child in his class. Last June we were told that our 5 year old son would share an SNA with a child in another class. Not ideal but better than nothing. We return to school in September to find his hours have not been sanctioned.
He has severe ADHD and sensory issues and we were told by the SENO that SNAs are not for children with behavioral difficulties but for children with physical needs needing help at the toilet etc.
This is a load of crap in my opinion. They are now discounting all the kids with similar disorders and saying that they are not needing SNA help. Well the 10 children that my son lashed out at last year because of his condition say he does!!
i’m a mother of 3 special needs boys and a little girl who’s being tested for dxyslesia . my older boys attend Scoil Chairain, a special needs school, they have lost sna’s due to cut backs. my youngest son is autistic and there’s no secondary school t o send m y son to. I wish every member of the government lived my 24 hours. When did we target the vunerable to please Europe and angela merkel .
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