Buncrana protest to “Save Our SNAs” demands long-term protection

Around 400 people gathered at the Market Square, Buncrana, last Wednesday evening in a powerful show of support for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), amid ongoing concerns about proposed changes to SNA allocations in schools.

The protest was organised before the Government announced that it would pause a controversial review and reallocation of SNAs for the coming academic year. While the Government has since confirmed that reductions will not take place for the 2026/27 school year, campaigners say the pause does not go far enough, and fear uncertainty remains for families in the years ahead.

Despite the threat of heavy showers, parents, teachers, SNAs, and children stood united in the town centre, holding handmade posters calling for the protection of vital supports in schools. “Save Our SNAs.”

St Oran’s Principal William Doherty, along with parent Fiona Igoe, initiated the campaign locally. Both had contacted numerous public representatives across the Inishowen area in a bid to find a solution for St Oran’s and other schools across the county.

Fiona Igoe, a parent at St Oran's National School, paid special tribute to the pupils of the Cockhill school, who spent the day creating posters for the demonstration.

“I want to thank all the children at St Oran’s who made all the amazing posters and the big banner at the front after spending all day working on them. They’re so beautiful.”

Fiona’s seven-year-old daughter, Siabhra, who has Type 1 diabetes, had been set to lose her SNA under the proposed changes. The Cockhill school had reportedly been informed that its allocation would be reduced from four SNAs to two and a half.

“Siabhra’s condition is extremely unstable,” Fiona explained. “She could have five or more hypoglycaemia episodes in school daily. Her blood sugars can drop below four and have gone as low as 1.8. These episodes need to be treated immediately.”

According to Fiona, her seven-year-old daughter requires constant monitoring throughout the school day, both in the classroom and on the playground. “If she does not have an SNA, she cannot go to school because she is not safe to attend unsupervised.”

While initially relieved by the Government’s decision to pause the changes, Fiona said the reprieve is only temporary.

“At first, I was happy that she’s not going to lose her SNA this year. When I thought about it more, a pause isn’t good enough. They’re going to come back to it, and next year we’ll have the same fight again. I don’t want to be here this time next year, wondering if my child can go to school.”

Fiona added that this “pause needs to be gone. SNAs just need to be there because they are vitally important, not just for children who need them directly, but for all school-going children. The work they do is amazing.”

Among those in attendance was Geraldine Devlin, an SNA at Scoil Íosagáin, who has worked in both autism and mainstream classes for 25 years.

“There was a great turnout, but we will have to continue to work through the union because it feels like it’s been stalled for now,” she said.

Geraldine described how the SNA role has evolved significantly since she began her career.

“When I started, there would have been one SNA to one child. That’s gone. Now you might have two SNAs for six children, or maybe two or three for eight children if you’re lucky. I’m now between four classrooms, and within those, you could have one child who needs support all day, so you may not get to the other children.

The experienced SNA said SNAs are increasingly stretched across multiple rooms and responsibilities. “In some rooms, you might not get to at all in a day because of the level of need elsewhere. Years ago, you could take a child right through mainstream education with continuity of care and support. Now you’re checking in and out, and while independence is important, the level of support just isn’t the same.”

Geraldine expressed concern that current guidelines focus primarily on significant care needs, without fully recognising the importance of sensory and emotional regulation supports, particularly for neurodivergent children.

“If the SNA isn’t there to give sensory input, an autistic child won’t be able to remain in the mainstream class. They can’t regulate, they can’t focus on the curriculum. On one hand, they have a right to education, but where does that right go if you remove the support that allows them to access it.”

The Buncrana SNA said there is now a fear among schools about seeking reviews of SNA allocations. “There’s nearly a fear that if you look for a review, you might lose some. Years ago, if a child needed support, you could apply for it. Now there’s worry about cuts.”

Speakers at the rally stressed that the issue is not about jobs, but about children’s rights. “This is totally about the child,” Geraldine said. “I don’t mind how many children I support, as long as they’re getting the level of support they’re entitled to.”

Geraldine praised Fiona for highlighting her own personal story while bringing attention to the issue across Inishowen

“It’s so unfair that parents of children with disabilities are constantly fighting. They already have enough to deal with. They shouldn’t have to go out and fight every year for their children’s rights.”

READ NEXT: Donegal mother forced to be an SNA to keep daughter in school

As the crowd dispersed from Market Square, the message from Buncrana was clear, while the Government’s pause may have eased immediate fears, many families and school staff remain determined to ensure that SNA supports are permanently secured for the future.