Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Ireland
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Sector
Education
Education
Education
85 - Education

500 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
14 January 2010
Employment effect (start)
1 February 2010
Foreseen end date

Description

An estimated 400-500 special-needs assistants (SNAs) will be made redundant within the next few weeks. The SNA's who face redundancy immediately work in schools where it has already been decided that their services are no longer required. In addition, a value-for-money audit that is under way is understood to be nearing completion. It will propose a stricter implementation of the criteria that led to the appointment of assistants, resulting in the loss of an estimated 1,200 posts. However, vacancies in other schools and additional appointments elsewhere will mean a net loss of somewhere between 400 and 500 jobs.

Currently, there are 17,000 full- and part-time SNA's, who support pupils that have any one of a range of disabilities or whose behaviour is deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. The number of assistants has risen rapidly in recent years, having been as low as 300 in 1997.


Sources

  • 15 January 2010: The Irish Independent

Citation

Eurofound (2010), Department of Education and Science, Internal restructuring in Ireland, factsheet number 70096, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/70096.