More than a quarter of its pupils require the support of a special needs assistant (SNA) throughout the school day. Following a review by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), it’s set to lose two SNA positions. Scoil Barra is one of almost 200 mainstream schools to date set to see reductions in their overall number of SNA posts for the 2026/27 school year. And as mainstream schools have become more inclusive in recent years, students’ needs have naturally increased and become more complex. However, inclusion without adequate staffing is not inclusion — it's abandonment.

Source: Irish Examiner February 17, 2026 09:05 UTC