Portlaw NS takes the Dáil to task 

Portlaw National School was one of the primary schools that visited Leinster House to call for better supports and funding for Special Education Needs (SEN).

Principals from across Ireland gathered at the Dáil to present the difficulties facing children, teachers and staff in accessing adequate services.

The event stressed that teachers across the country are facing burnout and fatigue due to the demands of both teaching and administrative duties, further compacted by insufficient supporting staff.

Waterford Senator John Cummins, Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD, Matt Shanahan TD and the PA for Minister Mary Butler all attended the event at Dáil Éireann.

Brian Barron, principal of Portlaw NS, said: “A reassessment of the Ancillary Grant is necessary to ensure it adequately covers the wages of secretarial staff, as well as cleaning and caretaking costs.

"Furthermore, additional resources are required to support schools integrating refugee and asylum-seeking children, ensuring they receive necessary academic and social support.”

Children with special needs have also been impacted by the under-resourcing of SEN. The number of Special Needs Assistants and Special Needs Teachers have been frozen since the austerity times of 2011.

According to Principal Barron: "The current allocation model, based on outdated 2016 data and relying on enrolment numbers, literacy/ numeracy scores, and educational disadvantage metrics, is flawed as it lacks individual profiling." 

He added: “The removal of 'Complex Needs' as a criterion has left many younger students without essential support. National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS) are overwhelmed and under-resourced, with temporary measures like the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA) proving insufficient.”

Angela Dunne, a principal from Tipperary, said: “Parents need to be aware of these pressing issues and the steps the government is taking, or not taking to address them."