‘SNA cuts take away a child’s chance to learn’, says visually impaired college graduate

An inspirational college student with a visual impairment who was awarded a masters at UCC has warned the Government against cutting special needs assistant (SNAs) hours.

Jessica Ní Mhaoláin, 24, from Cork, who struggles to see beyond five feet, told the Irish Examiner: “Simply put, I would not have finished primary school without the help of my SNA. Cutting SNA hours is taking away the chance for a child to learn properly — and that’s just not right.

“The more you cut in the early years, the more is lost to society in the long-term.”