A local Councillor has welcomed a new move by the Education Minister to introduce a redeployment scheme for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), calling it “fantastic news” and “very progressive.”
From next September, SNAs who find their roles affected by allocation changes at their current school will have the option to transfer to a vacant post elsewhere, rather than facing redundancy. The move was announced by Minister for Education Helen McEntee earlier this week.
Councillor Jenny Catt Slattery, who has 17 years of experience working as an SNA, praised the scheme as a positive and much-needed step.
“This is a very positive move. It gives security and peace of mind to SNAs who do vital work supporting some of the most vulnerable students in our schools,” she said.
The scheme is expected to reduce job uncertainty for SNAs and ensure experienced staff can continue working within the education system, even if staffing numbers change at a local level.
Councillor Catt Slattery added that she hopes the policy will lead to more long-term planning and investment in the role of SNAs across the education sector.
