Ireland’s largest public service union, Fórsa, has welcomed the announcement today, by Minister for Education Helen McEntee TD, of a redeployment scheme for special needs assistants (SNAs). The minister will address Fórsa’s Education conference in Galway later this morning (Thursday).
The new scheme will provide for redeployment of SNAs, enabling them to move to a different school, rather than having to take redundancy, if the number of SNA posts in their school is reduced.
Responding to the announcement, Noreen O’Mahony, chair of Fórsa’s Education division, said the new scheme is long overdue but welcome, and brings SNAs a step closer to the full professionalisation of the role: “We’ve been able to develop the SNA role through a series of negotiations over the last 20 years which has established the SNA role as an integral feature of the school environment.
“That is significant, because it has changed the way we educate and socialise young people with additional education needs. However, the challenge remains to ensure that supported school places are available to everyone that needs them.
“Figures provided to the Ombudsman for Children, by the Department of Education last September, showed that 126 children with additional needs were without a school place, because the State continues to struggle to meet its legal obligation under the EPSEN Act to provide children with an inclusive educational environment.
“The redeployment scheme will play a role in ensuring that number is reduced, because it should facilitate a smoother transfer of employment for an SNA to a school where their experience is needed.
“Fórsa’s SNA members sought the redeployment scheme because SNAs understood this was a measure that would improve access for children needing those vital supports,” she said.
Fórsa’s Head of Education Andy Pike added: “Redeployment has been one of the issues under discussion as part of the SNA Workforce Development Plan and is linked to the ongoing review and discussions on a new SNA national contract,” he said.
Mr Pike said a ballot of the union’s SNA members would take place on the outcome of those discussions, which will cover the new national contract, a new minimum qualification, career progression opportunities and training opportunities. The process is due to be completed by September.