Only time will tell if SNA retention is permanent 

By finding an extra €19m the Government has shown it can put its money where its mouth is in the face of public outcry

Approximately 250,000 students who have additional needs are educated in mainstream schools, and they do so safely with support from SNAs, with or without the formal recognition of a circular defining their roles, issued more than a decade ago. File picture: Danny Lawson/PA

"School would be harder without SNAs...Students wouldn’t learn without them...I couldn’t manage without the SNA because she calms us down.”

The role of special needs assistants (SNAs) in modern classrooms, as seen by the students they support, is well documented.