Parents want Minister to raise number of SNAs
Parents of children with special needs are demanding that the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn increase the number of Special Needs Assistants to cope with increased demand from schools.
They say that an extra 2000 children will require SNA support when they start school this September.
Yesterday, Mr Quinn rowed back on cuts to special education when he announced the re-allocation of 500 resource teachers.
However, the parents of special needs children say he must take similar action when it comes to SNAs.
Lorraine Dempsey, Chairperson of the Special Needs Parents Association, said: "The special needs assistant number remains the same for the past two years, however we have a substantial increase in the number of children who require that support.
"Special needs assistants are there to look after the care needs of a child, resource teachers are there to look after the educational needs of a child, they are very, very separate
