Protest against SNA cuts to take place in Limerick, despite Government pause

A PROTEST against Government plans to review Special Needs Assistants (SNA) allocations will still take place in Limerick this Wednesday, despite the Education Minister putting the proposals on ice.

Demonstrators are expected to gather outside City Hall at Merchant’s Quay in Limerick city centre at 5pm to campaign against the original proposal by Government to adjust how SNA posts are allocated.

It was a move which campaigners feared would lead to cuts, and following a backlash, Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton says the review has been paused.

Corbally woman Marie Galligan, who is part of a group organising the demonstration in Limerick said this is “a political move, still a pause”, and the protest would still take place.

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Marie works as an SNA and is mum to Adam, 14, who has autism.

She said families and staff of neurodiverse children are bearing the brunt of decisions they did not create.

“Schools, SNAs and families didn’t create this crisis, yet they’re the ones left to manage the fallout – and meanwhile children, the very people the system exists to serve, carry the greatest impact,” she said.

Adam was diagnosed at two-years-old, after his parents spotted developmental concerns.

Marie trained as an SNA, wanting to support her son.

She has campaigned before - nine years ago, she also protested outside City Hall calling for autism provision in Limerick.

She helped establish one when none existed.

Marie has called for everyone to come out and show solidarity with the parents who are protesting.

She warned any cuts of this nature could impact whole classes of children.

“If they go ahead with what they are saying: imagine you have a neurotypical child in the classroom, then you have a couple of children with additional needs. If it’s meant to be the teacher’s whole job to regulate all the children in their class, it will impact children who are neurotypical too, because there will be a lot of disruption going on in the class of a child not able to cope, and the teacher trying to do the impossible and children will miss out in valuable teaching time as such,” Marie said.

For her own son Adam, he has always had SNA support, but she described him as a “middle-of-the-road child” who under a new review would probably lose out as his needs aren’t high enough.

“He’s never managed in a mainstream setting without an SNA support. He is quite academic. But without the core person being able to translate what the teacher is saying if he is unsure, or if he comes in anxious in the morning, then he would struggle,” she said.

Ms Naughton said reviews will kick in for the 2027/28 school year.

“It’s really important that we are listening to parents, to SNAs, to schools who had huge concerns in relation to the cliff-edge approach here. And I want to provide that reassurance to schools, to let them know I’m listening and responding, to make sure that we get the supports for children who need it and students who need it,” she said. “I’ve listened, and that’s why it is important to put a hold on this process, to listen to the concerns.”

More information on the planned demonstrations in Limerick and around the country can be found by clicking here