Education minister cancels St Patrick's Day visit to South America amid SNA controversy

Hildegarde Naughton was expected to travel to Chile and Argentina but as confirmed she will not now travel

A protest outside Cork City Hall was one of many nationwide against a Government review into SNAs last week. Picture: Noel Sweeney

Education minister Hildegarde Naughton has pulled out of her St Patrick’s Day trip to South America as the special needs assistant (SNA) controversy continues.

The Government was forced to cancel a review into SNAs last week and allocate an additional €19m in funding following significant backlash from schools, parents, and unions following letters sent to schools suggesting they would be losing SNA positions.