Special Education - Value for Money Audit

Batt O' Keeffe, the Minister of Education and Science, ordered an audit of all Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in all schools in Ireland earlier this year. They are still at it. There are about 3,500 primary schools alone, and only about 20 SENOs. He says that he wants to make sure that the tax payer is getting value for money.

An SNA is appointed under very stringent conditions. A child must have a special need, a particular diagnosis and must basically have care needs (cannot do certain things for themselves, like go to the toilet, turn a page, eat, take medication, walk, see) and / or safety needs (will hurt themselves ar someone else) before they will be given an SNA. Often SNAs are shared between 2 or more children. There is no excess, I assure you. We need probably 10 times more SNAs in our schools, but this Audit is an attempt to cut, cut, cut.

The people carrying out the Audits are already completely run off their feet. They are the Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs). Their job is to examine professional reports, visit the school, meet the child and the parents and then award supports for this special needs child, or not. The Minister has them running around doing audits and reviews, so their core job is on the back burner. That suits, because if they don't have time to award resources, well the Minister saves more money. Meanwhile, the special needs children have no support in school and suffer immeasurably, as do their parents, classmates and teachers.

Now, let's look at this Minister and the value for money HE is giving the tax payer? He was in Ballingeary, Co. Cork last Sunday canvassing for his son who is running for Cork County Council - Batt handed over the seat to his son a few years ago. How nice of him.
You might say - so what if he was in Ballingeary canvassing for his son! What he does in his own free time is his own business!
Ok, fair enough! BUT, he had his big state car, his driver, armed bodyguards and 3 or 4 other cars full of men with him in a convoy!! Knocking on doors in a small village in County Cork, asking for votes for his son. IS THIS VALUE FOR MONEY? The driver and detectives were probably on double or triple time for the Sunday?? That trip out would probably have paid an SNA for a few months? This particular village has one of its own, Jerry O' Sullivan, running as an Independent candidate in this election, so Batt's boy is unlikely to get any votes there despite his Daddy's day out. If Batt went to Ballingeary, he's probably canvassing elsewhere too.

MINISTER, THIS IS NOT VALUE FOR MONEY. IF YOU WANT TO CANVASS FOR YOUR SON, DRIVE YOURSELF, TAKE YOUR OWN CAR AND GO ALONE, IN YOUR OWN TIME. SHAME ON YOU!
AGAIN!