OPINION: Why the recent SNA reviews backfired badly

Across Ireland and Tipperary recently many parents and those who work in schools have spoken out about the government’s decision to assess whether schools need the current SNAs they have, with an aim to reduce numbers by limiting the criteria in which a child requires a special needs assistant.

Parents, teachers, and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) from all across Ireland, have decided to take to the streets this week, demanding for the support children receive from SNA’s to stay the same, as it is essential for the education of their children and the children they work with.

The Government has responded by “pausing” the review, but a pause is no reassurance this this will not be brought forward again in the near future.

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That’s why parents and school workers across Ireland are protesting the idea of any such review taking place.

Reviews which have taken place already since it was announced in September 2025, have already shown that schools remain in a worse off position with far less SNAs allocated, once a review has taken place.

Parents are worried that the support their children currently receive will be taken away when the new school year starts in September.

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It is this worry that is leading them to protest this ‘pause’ and call for an overall stop to these reviews on SNA allocations in Irish schools.

Instead of cutting an already small resource in many schools, the government should instead be investing in more support for students that really need it.

Special Needs Assistants are essential for children with additional needs to participate fully in school life and to get the best they can from the education system.

With around 23,000 SNAs working in Irish schools, they provide safety and support to students with additional needs, enabling them to attend school and achieve their full potential while participating fully.