People Before Profit Galway brands SNA cuts “pure social darwinism”
People Before Profit Galway has condemned the planned reductions in numbers of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) for next September, which has seen the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) cut SNA quotas for as many as 200 schools or more as part of a series of reviews.
The NCSE has since “paused” the reviews, following outcry from teachers and parents around the country. Yet PBP Candidate for the Galway West By-Election Denman Rooke was quick to point out that “pausing” the reviews is not the same as “stopping” or “reversing” the decision, and highlighted how “the removal of SNAs means many children with complex needs cannot properly access education, or in some cases, cannot attend school at all”.
“In a country that has recorded consecutive years of massive, multi-billion euro Exchequer surpluses, it is nothing short of immoral to be cutting support for the most vulnerable in society,” said Rooke, adding “it speaks to a broader government policy of treating vulnerability and dependency, including the dependency of a child, as weakness to be shamed and shunned into silence. It’s a form of social darwinism, Dickensian in its cruelty.”
Rooke added that the irony was not lost on him that the Education Minister who is now making the lives of children with disabilities or additional needs harder or unlivable was once Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
“That Minister Naughton can go from ostensibly advocating for equality of people with disabilities as Minister with that portfolio, to pulling the ladder out from beneath their feet as Education Minister, illustrates how Ministerial roles are meaningless if the politicians who occupy them are not motivated by principles and genuine care for people instead of profit.”
Rooke concluded by urging Minister Naughton and the NCSE to find their common humanity, and focus on implementing more supports for the children of Ireland, not less. He also commended Fórsa Trade Union for their work, and reiterated People Before Profit’s long-standing support for unions and collective action.