Call for breastfeeding breaks for Limerick special needs assistants

A LIMERICK special needs assistant (SNA) was told she cannot take the same breastfeeding breaks as her teaching colleagues, because SNAs nationally are not given the same breastfeeding entitlements as teachers.

Currently SNAs are not allowed to take breastfeeding breaks like teachers, who are given allocated time throughout the day. 

“Teachers who breastfeed are given one hour a day to express outside of their lunch break but the same entitlement does not extend to special needs assistant,” Limerick Labour local election candidate Conor Sheehan said. 

“I was contacted by someone who works as an SNA in a local primary school and was told she had to express on her lunch break while a teacher working the same hours is allowed specific breastfeeding breaks.” 

“I have placed a number of Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Education through my colleague Jan O’Sullivan T.D to the current and previous Minister,” he added. 

“Both replies merely say that consideration is being given to extending the same entitlements to SNA’s and to date no progress has been made.” 

“While numbers are increasing, Ireland continues to have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe and discriminatory rules like this only serve to make the problem worse.”

“It won’t cost the Minister for Education a single penny to make this simple rule change which will make a massive difference to working mothers.”

“My Labour colleague Senator Kevin Humphreys, who co-authored the Labour Party breastfeeding policy, has kindly agreed to raise this with the Minister in the Seanad by way of a Commencement matter.”

When asked if breastfeeding breaks for registered teachers in primary and post-primary schools apply to SNAs, the Minister for Education Joe McHugh said: “The extension of these provisions to SNAs is still under consideration.” 

“Following consultation with school and staff representatives my Department issued Circular 60/2018 which increased the entitlement to breastfeeding breaks for teachers.”