Local Fianna Fail TD, Frank O’Rourke has welcomed the additional 44 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts to be appointed this year in Kildare, as part of 800 additional special needs assistants nationally. Deputy O’Rourke has campaigned for increased resources for special needs education over the last number of years.
“44 new Special Needs Assistants will be appointed this year to Kildare schools. This brings the total number of SNA posts in Kildare to 629 for the academic year 2018/2019. This is welcome news and it was an issue that I raised coming up to Budget 2018.”
“We must ensure that children with special educational needs are fully supported so that pupils can participate fully in our schools.”
“Since I entered public life, parents of children with special needs have been in regular contact with me seeking supports, particularly in the educational area. I held a public meeting to ensure that Special Needs Education would be captured in our policy framework and given priority in our Budget negotiations.’
“We have a growing population in Kildare. This leads to an increased demand for education, both in terms of teachers and school buildings. Special Needs Education is a priority for our party and for me personally. I will continue to fight to ensure that Kildare receives its fair share of the Education resources and that it’s growing population is captured when these resources are being allocated,” concluded Deputy O’Rourke.