SNA review is urgently needed at Wicklow special school

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

The Minister for Education and Youth Hele McEntee has been asked to conduct a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) review at Marino Special School in Bray.

An exceptional care review was due to be conducted at the school on June 18. However, that review was cancelled on the evening of June 16 by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The school management were told that the care review would happen instead during the next school year.

Speaking in the Dáil, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, Jennifer Whitmore, raised the urgent need for the review to take place. “Marino special school has never had a review of its care needs. Interestingly, in September 2024, the school made four urgent applications to the NCSE in relation to four students. It never heard back from the NCSE, and another ten similar applications are sitting on a desk, which were to be discussed at the review.”

In response Justice Minister Jim O’ Callaghan said he will speak to the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, who is responsible for special education needs about the issue.

“I am concerned to hear that Marino special school has not had that review yet. It needs to be given some certainty in terms of where we are now with the new year starting up. I will ask the Minister of State to come back to the Deputy.” he added.

During the exchange Deputy Whitmore highlighted the pressures school staff and students are facing.

“These are not just pieces of paper sitting on a desk somewhere, these are real children with real needs, and staff who are doing their absolute best under enormous pressure. The school is already operating with three Above SERC SNA staff, but it’s not enough. Staff are burnt out, students are not getting the care they need, and the NCSE’s response has been to tell them to ‘use existing resources.’ That is not a solution.”

“It is imperative that this review happens as soon as possible. Marino needs to be equipped with the care and support required to safely and effectively meet the needs of its students in the coming school year. Their teachers are doing all they can with the limited that they have, the Government needs to support them,” Deputy Whitmore concluded.