‘I fear the next call because of SNA cuts’

Bridgette Keane dreams of a day her seven-year-old son Mark can tell her he loves her — and hopes it will happen.

But while he is progressing well at school, she fears that no longer having a special needs assistant (SNA) with him at all times means the boy with Down syndrome who cannot speak and is not toilet trained could be left in wet or soiled clothes because of the latest education cuts.

National Council for Special Education (NCSE) chief executive Teresa Griffin said on Wednesday she is satisfied that all children with care needs have been given the correct SNA support.